A negotiator of the Ukrainian delegation, which took part in the first round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, was found dead on Saturday.
The news was initially reported by the Ukrainian press, and later confirmed by the Ministry of Defense of that country.
The ministry’s General Directorate of Information said in an official memo that Denis Kirev was one of three members of Ukrainian intelligence killed “while performing special tasks”.
СД час виконання спеціальних завдань, багинули три розвідники – співробітники головного управлозно управліз
🎖Доля Олексій Іванович
ибінєєв Валерій Вікторович
🎖Кірєєв Денис Борисович# ГУРпамятає pic.twitter.com/6qKcwAZyMEUkrainian Defense Intelligence (DI_Ukraine) March 5, 2022
However, the Ukrainian press reported that Kirev, a banker by profession, would be a Russian spy in the Kremlin service who allegedly committed treason, having been killed for this reason by the Ukrainian security services, while trying to arrest whom this person would try to resist.
Denis Kirev, a member of the negotiating team on the Ukrainian side, was killed. According to preliminary information, he was liquidated by the security department #Ukraine During his arrest on suspicion of treason. pic.twitter.com/ab1GpkIxt8
– Nexta (@nexta_tv) March 5, 2022
The Ukrainian press also noted the relations between Kirev and Russian intelligence, with the Russian news agency “RIA” speaking about a “suspicious betrayal.”