Ukrainian parliament dismisses Bakanov as Security Service chief
MOSCOW. July 19 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada on Tuesday upheld President Volodymyr Zelensky's proposal on dismissing Ivan Bakanov as chief of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), Halyna Yanchenko of the Servant of the People party's parliamentary faction said.
"Bakanov has been fired from his office. Now officially. The Verkhovna Rada has voted for this decision," Yanchenko wrote on Telegram on Tuesday.
Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a parliamentarian of the Holos (Voice) party's faction, said on social media that the proposal was supported by 265 parliamentarians.
Bakanov was not present at the Rada hearing, and his dismissal procedure was quite formal, Zheleznyak said.
As reported earlier, Zelensky on July 17 signed a decree discharging Bakanov from his duties as SBU chief. On July 18, Zelensky appointed Vasyl Malyuk acting SBU chief and submitted a proposal on firing Bakanov to the Rada.
Bakanov has led the SBU since August 29, 2019. Zelensky had previously appointed him SBU first deputy chief.
Bakanov was leader of the Servant of the People party from December 2, 2017 to May 27, 2019 and led Zelensky's campaign staff during the 2019 presidential election campaign.
Meanwhile, David Arakhamiya, head of the Servant of the People party's parliamentary faction, said on Telegram that the Verkhovna Rada on Tuesday upheld Zelensky's proposal on dismissing Iryna Venediktova as prosecutor general.
"The Verkhovna Rada has voted in favor of terminating Iryna Venediktova's mandate as Ukrainian prosecutor general," Arakhamiya said.
According to Zheleznyak, Venediktova's dismissal was supported by 264 parliamentarians.
Zelensky signed a decree on July 17 to remove Venediktova from the prosecutor general's office and appoint Oleksiy Symonenko acting prosecutor general.
Venediktova has served as Ukrainian prosecutor general since March 17, 2020.
Zheleznyak also said that the Verkhovna Rada appointed Oksana Zholnovych social policy minister.
As reported earlier, the Rada on July 18 supported Maryna Lazebna's resignation as social policy minister. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal thanked her for her work and formally asked the Rada to appoint Zholnovych to the post the same day.
Zholnovych is a lawyer specializing in labor, civil, family, and administrative law. Since 2020, she has led the social policy and healthcare department at the presidential office. She also served as an advisor to the social policy minister from 2019 to 2021. Zholnovych had previously worked as an aide to the chancellor of the Lviv Ivan Bobersky State University of Physical Culture in 2017-2019.