The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) commented on the dismissal by President Volodymyr Zelensky of the head of the SSU Department of National Statehood Protection, Roman Semenchenko, explaining this decision by optimizing approaches to the work of the department, including to ensure the smooth operation of the mass media and guarantee them a sufficient level of security.
This is stated in the message of the SSU in the Telegram channel, Ukrainian News Agency reports.
"In the conditions of a full-scale war, the SSU is constantly changing, optimizing itself as an effective and combative counterintelligence body capable of protecting the state from the entire spectrum of possible challenges. We are aware that we are protecting a democratic Ukraine, in which the strengthening of national statehood is one of the key priorities, the implementation of which must ensure including the unimpeded work of the mass media and guaranteeing them a sufficient level of security. It is for this purpose that the Department of National Statehood Protection will be strengthened and approaches to its work will be optimized," the message reads.
The SSU notes that the candidacy of the new head of this department will be submitted to the head of state for consideration in the near future.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Zelenskyy dismissed Semenchenko, the head of the SSU Department of National Statehood Protection, by decree of January 31.
On Wednesday, January 17, Zelenskyy reacted to the information about the surveillance of Ukrainian journalists - in his traditional evening video address, he announced that the Security Service of Ukraine had started an investigation and would find out all the circumstances, stressing that any pressure on journalists is unacceptable.
In January, Ukrainians on social networks actively discussed the situation with Bihus.Info, when unknown people published a video on the network, in which some representatives of the team of the journalistic project allegedly used drugs. Then the editor-in-chief of the publication, Denys Bihus, promised "harsh personnel changes", and the SSU opened a case on the fact of illegal wiretapping of journalists.
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