A Kyiv court has recently ruled for a 60-day detention period for Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandr Dubinsky. Dubinsky, currently under suspicion for treason, is widely recognized for his presence on the US sanctions list, his ties to Rudy Giuliani, former Trump lawyer, and his outspoken critique of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), has alleged that Dubinsky is a member of a criminal organization, financially backed by Russian military intelligence. The array of charges against him includes cooperation with the Russian intelligence community, aimed at undermining Ukraine’s war efforts.
On Monday preceding the court’s ruling, Ukraine’s national security agency conducted a search of Dubinsky’s residence to “collect evidence” of his alleged treason. Dubinsky, under the codename “Buratino”, has been accused by the SBU of monetizing the spread of Russian narratives and disinformation. The security agency has named Vladimir Alekseev, the deputy head of Russia’s GRU, as the Russian overseer of the operation.
Particularly, the SBU has pointed to a press conference led by Dubinsky in 2019. During the conference, Dubinsky and an associate purportedly unveiled a corrupt money-laundering scheme. The alleged scheme is said to implicate Burisma, a gas company where Hunter Biden was once an active board member. In addition, Dubinsky has made claims that U.S investment funds were being laundered through Ukraine.
In response to the allegations, Dubinsky has posted a denial on his Telegram page, labeling them as “completely fabricated”. He asserts that the accusations are a form of retaliation for his criticisms aimed at President Zelensky and his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak.
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