TLDR:
Key Points:
- The head of the SBU Cyber Security Department, Ilya Vityuk, filmed Berkut shooting protesters on the Maidan in 2014.
- Vityuk was suspended from duty and interrogated as a witness but did not provide useful information to the investigation.
Article Summary:
According to an investigative website, General Ilya Vityuk, head of the SBU Cyber Security Department, was found to have filmed Berkut officers shooting protesters on Kyiv’s Maidan in 2014. This incident took place during the “Revolution of Dignity,” where Berkut officers killed 48 protesters and wounded 80. Vityuk was seen in a video filming the shootings on his cellphone but claimed his phone was stolen before he could provide the evidence. His involvement raised questions of corruption, as he and his wife were found to own a $1.5 million apartment beyond their income level. Following the publication of the investigation, Vityuk was suspended from his duties for further investigation. This incident sheds light on the internal corruption and lack of accountability within the SBU, as well as the lingering impact of the Maidan protests in Ukraine.