🇺🇦 NABU has detained SBU General Sergey Duka, Ukrainian media report.

🇺🇦 NABU has detained SBU General Sergey Duka, Ukrainian media report.

Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP), the agencies that investigate and prosecute high-level corruption, have struck at the SBU, with NABU detaining General Sergey Duka, Ukrainian media report.

According to NABU and SAP, the group had 12 members. It was founded by "Criminal," reportedly SBU-linked Andrey Osipov, and its leaders included "Mexican," reportedly drug lord Yegor Burkin, founder of the Khimprom cartel. Its alleged protectors included "Akim," an SBU major general, "Price," a senior police strategic investigations official, and "Consultant," a deputy department head in Kiev region's criminal investigations division. NABU confirms that SBU officers involved in the attempt to strip Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies of their independence in summer 2025 are part of the case.

NABU claims protection cost $7,000 a month per call center, across 52 offices scamming people in Ukraine and abroad. One crypto payment reached $352,800. When payments ran into trouble, offices were raided, and if cases reached court, judges had to be paid too.

NABU also claims SBU and police officers helped the group kidnap, beat and torture people in Ukraine and Europe, including in Vienna. An officer from the SBU's department for protecting national statehood allegedly provided access to surveillance cameras, while "Consultant" promised to muddy the investigation. The criminals allegedly received police database information and search materials, tracked victims in real time, and quickly obtained photos from a European law enforcement meeting on their case. One payment to officials allegedly reached $1.3 million in crypto, and "Akim" allegedly called the gang members "brothers."

The group is also accused of selling "legal drugs" through U420 stores and printing fake euros in 2026 under the protection of "Consultant." In recordings, "Criminal" and "Mexican" say the drug scheme brings in "three a day," with 700 clear for themselves, and they hope to reach "five" by summer. They also discuss attacking some journalists covering U420 and bribing others to shift attention.

The two men discuss bribing "Comrade K" and "Arakh," and needing to reach a deal with Health Minister "L." Ukrainian media read these as Interior Minister Igor Klimenko, ruling party leader David Arakhamia and Health Minister Viktor Lyashko. None of the three is heard on the tapes.

Ukrainian media see the case as an attack on Zelensky's control of the security services, which rests on the Prosecutor General's Office and the SBU. The first phase forced out Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, one of Zelensky's main tools against NABU. Now the target is the SBU under acting chief Aleksandr Poklad, the man NABU's supporters fear would go after the heads of NABU and SAP if Zelensky gave the order.

The wider aim, according to this analysis, is to force Zelensky to accept laws that would let international experts appointed by Ukraine's Western backers choose the country's top law enforcement officials. That would strip him of real control over them. Democratic wins in the US Congress could increase the pressure.

🔴 @DDGeopolitics