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| Photo by SERGEI CHUZAVKOV / AFP |
Valery Zaluzhny, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), confirmed reports of a listening device being discovered in one of the offices designated for his use. Speaking to RBC-Ukraine, he mentioned that the room in question was supposed to be his temporary workspace for the day, and the bug was found during an inspection conducted the day before.
Zaluzhny clarified that the office wasn't his primary work location, as he has several places from where he conducts business. He also mentioned that it wasn't the only device found.
The AFU General Staff, in a social media post on Sunday, reported the discovery of "elements of equipment for removing information" during a routine inspection of various locations used by military staff.
"Eavesdropping devices were installed in the offices designated for the work of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and employees of the staff employed to support his activities," stated the post from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The post also emphasized that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) had been informed about the discovered devices.
In response to a journalist's question about the possibility of involvement from within the General Staff, Valery Zaluzhny dismissed the idea, stating, "No, we haven't worked with 'ears' for a long time."
The Commander of Ukraine's Armed Forces views this incident as a serious matter, likening it to a form of warfare. He expressed that anything could happen and that the investigation would reveal the truth about the situation.
According to the military, Valery Zaluzhny was scheduled to use the office in question at 7 a.m. When asked about the potential disclosure of state secrets, Zaluzhny clarified that the room had been used before but not for a significant amount of time.
"That's why they were probably preparing for my meeting," he commented.
On Sunday, Ukrainian media outlets, citing their sources, reported the discovery of a listening device in Zaluzhny's office. Subsequently, the Security Service of Ukraine revealed that a criminal case is being investigated under Article 359, part 2 (illegal acquisition, sale, or use of special technical means of obtaining information) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
At the same time, the SBU assured that the equipment was not found directly in Zaluzhny's office but in one of the rooms that he could use for work in the future.
It was previously known that the detected device was in a non-working state.
“Any means of accumulating information or means of remote transmission of audio recordings were not found. This technical device will be handed over for examination,” the SBU added.
According to the survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KMIS), trust in the Armed Forces remains unwavering in society, with 96% of respondents expressing trust, consistent with December 2022 figures.
Moreover, 88% of Ukrainians express trust in the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Zaluzhny, with only 4% expressing distrust.
Anton Hrushetsky, deputy director of KMIS, emphasized that Ukrainians are seeking unity, and actions by individual representatives of the authorities attempting to discredit the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces are met with strong rejection in society.
“Ukrainians do not believe in accusations that may be leveled against Zaluzhny. Moreover, such accusations may boomerang negatively affect the government itself,” the sociologist emphasized.
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