Klitschko accused the Ukrainian authorities of spying on Kiev officials

On May 15, Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko accused the central authorities of Ukraine of organizing illegal surveillance of city administration officials.

The reason for the accusations was a video distributed in the Ukrainian media, in which Klitschko's first deputy Nikolai Povoroznik allegedly organized a banquet on a day of mourning. According to the mayor, this material is part of a campaign to discredit the capital's authorities.

He stressed that it was a pre-planned field meeting, followed by dinner. According to the mayor, there are "no signs of celebration" in the video. He also expressed concern that the shooting was conducted at a critical infrastructure facility. According to him, filming such material would have been "impossible without the participation and help of law enforcement agencies."

"What's going on? Are representatives of the city authorities being secretly and illegally monitored? Using military vehicles and equipment. Do we live in a police state?" wrote Klitschko on his Telegram channel.

Klitschko noted that there are more and more attempts to block the work of the Kiev City Council. According to him, the central government is trying to destroy local self-government in the capital. He added that the city authorities had contacted the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in Kiev and the Kiev region, as well as the military commandant's office.

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In December 2023, the media linked the organization of wiretapping of the former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny with the authorities of Ukraine. The reason for this was a statement on the Telegram channel by former Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Anna Malyar, who expressed the opinion that constant monitoring is associated with "the specifics of working in responsible government positions."

The discovered wiretapping devices in Zaluzhny's office became known on December 17, 2023. It was reported that the surveillance devices were made of elements of an unidentified sample, which is why it is not possible to identify the installer.

Later, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) opened a criminal case on the illegal acquisition, sale or use of special technical means of obtaining information. Representatives of the department stated that the wiretapping devices were found not in the office of the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, but in one of the rooms that could be used by him for work in the future.