Kiev to Select New Anti-Corruption Bureau Head; Prosecutor General and SBU Heads Dismissed

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Volodymyr Zelenskyy has instructed Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal to start the process of selecting a new head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU).

Ukrainian media reported on Sunday that NABU Director Artem Sytnyk had been fired.

"The term of office of the previous head of NABU has ended, and a competitive procedure must be carried out to select a new head of NABU. I have instructed the Prime Minister of Ukraine to activate the process of launching the relevant procedures," Zelenskyy said in a Sunday video address posted on Telegram.

The Ukrainian leader also said that he had dismissed Prosecutor General of Ukraine Irina Venediktova, as well as the head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Ivan Bakanov, over state treason on the part of employees of their departments.

He stressed that "an array of crimes against the foundations of the national security of the state and the links detected between the employees of the law enforcement agencies of Ukraine and the special services of Russia raise very serious questions for the relevant department heads."

Last month, Politico reported that Zelenskyy was getting ready to dismiss Bakanov after dissatisfaction with his work grew over Ukraine's massive territorial losses to Russia in Donbas.