Wagnergate

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Wagnergate (firstly named "Avenue") was an operation by Ukrainian special services to entrap and detain mercenaries of Wagner Group, including those possibly involved in the downing of a Ukrainian IL-76 transport and the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. According to investigation by Bellingcat and The Insider , the operation was carried out with the covert participation of the United States and Turkish Airlines. The special operation has failed in July 2020 due to the postponement of its critical phase on the orders by Andriy Yermak and the alleged leakage of information from the Office of the President of Ukraine. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Events

A group of Wagner's mercenaries were lured to Minsk by promising them high-paying jobs in Venezuela. A plane carrying them on a staged transport to Venezuela from Minsk would land in Kyiv where the mercenaries would be arrested, according to the plan of the operation. However, after a call from the Ukrainian President's office, the transportation was postponed for one day, purportedly to conduct planned talks with Russia. Meanwhile, the information about the stage transport was leaked, and the mercenaries were arrested in Minsk, only to be handed over back to Russia. [4] [5]

Denials

The head of the Ukrainian Chief Directorate of Intelligence Kyrylo Budanov denied the existence of the operation, claiming that it was a fake story to discredit Ukrainian special services. [6] Andriy Yermak, Head of the Presidential Administration, said" "it looks like a well thought out and planned disinformation campaign". [7]

Investigation

On November 17, 2021, Bellingcat and The Insider published the first part of Wagnergate's investigation. [8] [9] It was further investigated by Christo Grozev [10] [11] who said that the Bellingcat group was not only investigating the case but was also going to release a documentary. [12] [13]

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References

  1. ↑ "Затримання "вагнерівців" мало бути українською операцією, яка зірвалась після доповіді в ОП". Українська правда (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  2. ↑ "Вісім речей про "Вагнергейт", які ми дізнались із розслідування Bellingcat". BBC News Україна (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  3. ↑ Ukraine's real power broker. Is Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's right-hand man, handing war-torn Ukraine over to the oligarchs? by Paul Starobin, Business Insider, December 18, 2023
  4. ↑ "Под Минском задержаны 32 боевика иностранной частной военной компании (подробности)". www.belta.by (in Russian). 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  5. ↑ "Видача "вагнерівців" РФ негативно вплине на відносини України й Білорусі – Данілов". Українська правда (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  6. ↑ "Кирило Буданов, керівник Головного управління розвідки МОУ". www.ukrinform.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  7. ↑ "Андрій Єрмак: "Це виглядає як добре продумана та спланована дезінформаційна кампанія"". LB.ua. 19 August 2020. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  8. ↑ "Inside Wagnergate: Ukraine's Brazen Sting Operation to Snare Russian Mercenaries". bellingcat. 2021-11-17. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  9. ↑ "Приземление валькирий. История спецоперации Украины по перехвату самолета с боевиками ЧВК Вагнера. Ч. I — вербовка". The Insider (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  10. ↑ "The Data and the Dossier: Validating the "Wagnergate" Operation". bellingcat. 2021-11-17. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  11. ↑ Христо Грозев. Подробности "ВАГНЕРгейта" | Прямой эфир , retrieved 2022-01-31
  12. ↑ "Bellingcat "розслідує справу вагнерівців" та готова взятись за злочини Майдану". BBC News Україна (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  13. ↑ Свобода, Радіо (23 December 2020). "Bellingcat розслідує зрив операції з затримання "вагнерівців" та "готова зайнятися" розслідуванням справ Майдану". Радіо Свобода (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2022-01-31.
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