The arrest of Medvedchuk, who escaped from house arrest on charges of treason, days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine was first announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who posted a photo of the detainee on social media, sloppy, with handcuffed and dressed in tired troops. Ukraine flag patch. Viktor Medvedchuk in handcuffs and dressed in military uniform. Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskiy / AFP / Getty Images Instagram account “A special operation was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine. “Well done!” Zelensky wrote in the Telegram and later suggested exchanging it with Ukrainian prisoners of war held by Russia. “I propose to the Russian Federation to exchange this man of yours with our boys and girls who are now in Russian captivity,” Zelensky said in a video lecture to the Telegram. Medvedchuk became rich from Russian oil interests and his proximity to the Kremlin. Putin is the godfather of his youngest daughter, and Medvedchuk’s coalition, Opposition Platform – For Life, pursued an agenda in favor of Moscow until it was accused of treason in May 2021, accused of selling military secrets to Russia and exploiting Crimea’s natural resources. under Russia. occupation. He denied that he had committed a crime and was under house arrest before fleeing in the first days of the invasion. Investigators who went to Medvedchuk’s house found a replica of a vintage Pullman train carriage, luxuriously furnished with gold fittings, standing on a model of a train station, all hidden under a tarpaulin. The $ 200 million 93-meter yacht, the Royal Romance, was seized in the Croatian port of Rijeka last month. Viktor Medvedchuk’s yacht, the Royal Romance, in Rijeka, Croatia. Photo: Matija Djanjesic / Cropix / Sipa / Rex / Shutterstock In January, the United States imposed sanctions on Medvedchuk and three other Moscow-backed Ukrainian politicians, accusing them of plotting to form a coalition government in the wake of the Russian invasion. Zelensky also suspended Medvedev’s party – Ukraine’s largest opposition – and several other smaller Moscow – linked political parties in March. Medvedchuk’s arrest and indictment angered Putin, who threatened to respond to what he saw as political persecution. It was not immediately clear where and how he was arrested. Ivan Bakanov, the head of the Security Service (SBU), thanked the investigators and counterintelligence officers who “proved their professionalism and carried out a lightning and dangerous multi-level special operation to arrest MP Medvedchuk.” “You can hide from justice. You can even wear a Ukrainian military uniform to disguise yourself… But will it help you escape punishment? Not at all! “The SBU tweeted. Medvedev’s repression from Kyiv had sparked outrage in the Kremlin, with Putin pledging at one stage to “respond” to what he called political persecution. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peshkov did not comment on the news of Medvedev’s arrest, telling Russian journalists that “there are a lot of fakes coming from Ukraine” and “this must be checked first.”
