Kyiv, Ukraine

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Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed a new security official as acting head of the domestic security agency after he fired two top officials. Zelensky suspended the country's security chief and top prosecutor over claims that they failed to purge Russian spies from their organisations. 

Ivan Bakanov, who is Zelensky's childhood friend, will be replaced by Vasyl Maliuk - a former first deputy head of the SBU. Reports have mentioned that Maliuk led the anti-corruption and organised crime unit of the agency’s central directorate. 

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Another change was Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, who embodied Zelensky's policy of putting young political allies in charge of fighting corruption following the former TV comic's 2019 election. 

In a video statement, the Ukrainian president said that the pair had failed to eradicate traitors and collaborators. On Monday, the deputy head of Zelensky's administration said that the pair was suspended pending further investigation. 

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As per reports, more than 60 officials from Bakanov's SBU security agency and the prosecutor's office were apparently working in Russian-occupied territory. 

In the video address, Zelensky said that 651 treason and collaboration cases had been opened against law enforcement officials. 

Zelensky said: "Such an array of crimes against the foundations of the national security of the state ... poses very serious questions to the relevant leaders." 

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