Official who gave Putin false intelligence on Ukraine war resigns

Sergei Beseda has resigned from his post as head of the 5th Department of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), the Russian investigative portal Important Stories reported on June 22, citing unnamed sources.

The 5th service is responsible for the FSBUkraine’s relations with foreign partners and intelligence gathering in former Soviet states, including Ukraine.

The service offered Russian dictator Wladimir Putin with information about the political developments in Ukraine on the eve of the large-scale invasionaccording to Important Stories.

The intelligence provided by the 5th Intelligence Service proved in many ways inaccurate when open warfare began, according to Important Stories. Based on this intelligence, Russian authorities were confident that the Russian army would not face any serious resistance in Ukraine.

Beseda was replaced by Alexey Komkov and appointed adviser to Alexander Bortnikov, the head of the FSB, according to Important Stories.

As Important Stories reported, Beseda’s formal reason for resignation was that he had reached the age of 70, the age limit for military service.

“However, this personnel decision is not only for formal reasons: within the FSB there is a fierce dispute between various power groups over several high-ranking posts that will become vacant this year, including Bortnikov’s job,” the article says.

The FSB director turns 73 this year and Sergei Korolev, the FSB’s first deputy head, is being considered as a possible successor, Important Stories reported.

In October 2023, the head of the Ukrainian military intelligence Kyrylo Budanov told Ukrainian Pravda that Beseda was “very problematic” for Ukraine.

Beseda has “done a lot of evil to Ukraine,” Budanov said.

He was suspended at the beginning of the large-scale invasion, but the situation has now “improved” for him, Budanov added.

“At present, unfortunately, (Beseda) is not doing his work for the benefit of Ukraine. Active operations are taking place on the territory of Ukraine,” said the head of military intelligence.

According to SBU, suspected FSB collaborator arrested while planning terrorist attack on military recruitment office

The suspect was arrested while allegedly scouting potential targets for an attack, Ukraine’s Security Service said.