Podolyak: banker Denys Kireyev, who warned of Russia’s plans to attack Kyiv, was killed because of lack of ‘unified coordination’ among law enforcement

Former banker and Ukrainian intelligence officer Denys Kireyev was killed because, in the first days of the war, there was “no unified coordination” between Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said in an interview with Baltic news website Delfi. Podolyak is also a member of the Ukrainian delegation to talks with Russia.

“It was the first days of the war. His death was related to the fact that there was no unified coordination between law enforcement structures. On the one hand, there were certain complaints against him, but on the other hand, these complaints were not resolved via a dialogue format,” said Podolyak.

The presidential adviser stressed that Kireyev had not been part of the delegation at peace talks with Russia. According to Podolyak, the banker was connected to Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence and “consulted” on the trajectory of the military clashes. He said the same thing an interview with journalist Yulia Latynina in March 2022.

Podolyak also stressed that Kireyev was not a Russian agent, though he claims that Moscow tried to present Kireyev as a spy within the delegation of Ukrainian negotiators.

The Office of the President of Ukraine did not specify whether Kireyev’s death was investigated or whether anyone was held responsible.

Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, told the Wall Street Journal that the banker Denys Kireyev began working with Ukrainian intelligence in the spring of 2021. According to Budanov, it was thanks to Kireyev’s information that Ukraine deployed troops to defend Antonov Airport (formerly Hostomel) and were able to hold Kyiv.

After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kireyev participated in the first round of talks between the warring countries, in Belarus. In March, the intelligence agent was killed, reportedly by members of Ukraine’s Security Service. Ukrainian authorities later clarified that Kireyev was killed while carrying out a special mission.

Publication Agentstvo reported earlier that Kireyev was killed due to “confusion” between Ukrainian special services.