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Replacement of Ukraine’s top security official shows London’s growing role — Russian envoy

Rodion Miroshnik expects Alexander Litvinenko, the former director of the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service, to work as a functionary assisting with British oversight

MOSCOW, March 27. /TASS/. The dismissal of Alexey Danilov from his post as secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) indicates the growing influence of London over Kiev, Rodion Miroshnik, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s special envoy for the crimes of the Kiev regime, told TASS.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky dismissed Danilov from his post, replacing him with Alexander Litvinenko, the former director of the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service.

"Analyst Alexander Litvinenko was transferred from the position of intelligence chief to an organizational role as they probably expect the [NSDC] to expand its profile ahead of Zelensky’s imminent loss of legitimacy and the fleeing of Rada members," Miroshnik said. He expects Litvinenko to work as a functionary assisting with British oversight, citing the training course that the top Ukrainian intelligence analyst completed at the UK’s Royal College of Defense Studies.

According to Miroshnik, the role of Ukraine’s top security official is currently being reorganized, while attempts are being made to entrust the NSDC itself with taking up responsibility for the slackening control over the country in light of impending government reshuffles "to keep a shorter leash on Ukraine."

Earlier, Zelensky sacked his top military commander, Valery Zaluzhny, and later dismissed other senior military leaders. Many analysts said the decision to appoint the once-too-popular general as Ukrainian ambassador to London reflected a tug-of-war between Kiev’s US and British patrons.

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