‘Who surrendered the south?’ In the case of the capture of the south of Ukraine at the beginning of the full-scale war, officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were interrogated – even Zaluzhny

In the near future, Ukraine may announce suspicions in the case of the “surrender of the south.” According to sources cited by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, more than fifty individuals have already been questioned in the case of the inadequate defense of the Kherson region during the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Investigators have even conducted interviews with the Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valeriy Zaluzhny.

This information reported by BBC on the details of the investigation into the rapid capture of the Kherson region in the initial days of Russia’s invasion.

The State Bureau of Investigations initiated this case on April 11, 2022. In March 2023, the State Bureau of Investigations responded to a request from the Ukrainian Armed Forces, indicating that the case was being investigated under Article 111, Part 1, and Article 425, Part 3, of the Criminal Code, which relate to state treason and negligence in military service, respectively.

According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ sources, no one has been formally charged in this case yet but this could happen in the near future. Reportedly, investigators have already questioned a list of generals and representatives of the Ukrainian military command. Among them are:

• Commander of the Joint Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Serhiy Naiev.
• Former commanders of the Southern Military Group, including Generals Andriy Kovalchuk and Andriy Sokolov, as well as commanders of other military units within this group.
• General Viktor Muzhenko, the former Chief of the General Staff, who joined the senior military command on the morning of February 24, 2022, and assisted in making decisions in the headquarters.
• Former Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, General Ruslan Khomchak.
• Former leaders of the Kherson region, including the former head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, Hennadiy Lahuta, whose death in Kyiv was reported on September 16.
• Former commander of the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, which defended the south of Ukraine, Colonel Oleksandr Vinogradov.

Additionally, several Ukrainian Armed Forces sources claim that “investigators have come for a conversation with Valeriy Zaluzhny” as part of this investigation. The Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces does not have a procedural status in this case yet since there has been no official summons for questioning.

“However, it is not ruled out that such a status may emerge over time. Given this possible development, within political circles, the case of the south’s occupation is already being referred to as the ‘Zaluzhny case,'” reports the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

It should be noted that on July 16, the Security Service of Ukraine, together with the State Bureau of Investigations, detained Oleg Kulynych, the former head of the Security Service of Ukraine’s department in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Expert analysis confirmed his cooperation with Russian special services, as he provided them with intelligence data against Ukraine including information classified as state secrets. Kulynych was subsequently remanded in custody without the possibility of bail.

Kulynych had disrupted the work of the Security Service of Ukraine’s headquarters in Crimea. He had initiated a reorganization that was not completed, which led to the paralysis of this important structure for an extended period. However, at the time the head of the Security Service, Ivan Bakanov, listened to his advice, as Kulynych was an officer with special assignments. On March 2, President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Kulynych from his position, and on the following day, July 16, he removed Ivan Bakanov from leading the Security Service.