Ukraine’s fugitive security operative, detained in Serbia, could get asylum in Russia

Former SBU General Andrii Naumov, who is suspected to have passed the Russians sensitive intelligence about the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, may be granted asylum in the Russian Federation.

That’s according to The Insider, Ukrifnorm reports.

On June 7, Andriy Naumov, the former head of the Main Directorate of Internal Security of the Security Service of Ukraine, was detained in Serbia for smuggling undeclared valuables, facing up to 12 years in prison.

In Ukraine, the former senior security operative is suspected of high treason.

Read also: Zelensky says two generals who turned out to be traitors stripped of their rank

"While holding the position of head of a state enterprise responsible for the Chornobyl NPP Exclusion Zone before being assigned to a senior post in the SBU, he collected information about the zone’s safety systems," the State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine wrote in a statement.

According to The Insider, Russia is ready to grant Naumov asylum in exchange for testimony against Volodymyr Zelensky. It appears that Russia seeks to put the president of Ukraine on trial.

It is reported that the former SBU general is supposed to testify that Zelensky has ordered to carry out “genocide of the civilian population of Donbas,” as sought by the Russian government.

On March 31, President Volodymyr Zelensky said two Ukrainian generals had been stripped of their rank as flipcoats, who sided with the enemy, committing high treason.

According to the president, it is about the ex-head of the Main Department of Internal Security of the Security Service of Ukraine Andrii Olehovych Naumov and the ex-head of the SBU Office in Kherson region Serhii Oleksandrovych Kryvoruchko.

Photo: RFL/RL