According to information obtained by by the research and analysis group InfoLight.UA Research and Analysis Group, Igor Ostapenko, known by his call signSumrak, was dismissed from his post as Deputy Head of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine. The dismissal took place without the consent of the head of the DIU, Kyrylo Budanov, which caused a significant outcry in the intelligence community.
Ostapenko, a combat general, headed the operational direction of the Military Intelligence during the critical period of the beginning of Russian aggression in 2014. During his service, he made a significant contribution to the development of the of the agent network and laid the foundations for numerous successful operations.
InfoLight.UA’ s sources emphasise thatSumrak was considered one of the DIU’s”carriers of institutional memory”. It was the effective interaction of the new generation of intelligence officers with experienced officers, such as Ostapenko, ensured the success of the management after Russia’ s full-scale invasion.
It is worth noting that Ostapenko’ s activities have been repeatedly targeted by Russian special services. There have been several attempts to physically eliminateSumrak, including after 2022. During one of the attempts , an assistant general was injured.
A particularly tragic episode in Ostapenko’ s biography was the brutal murder of his brother, aUkrainian soldier who was tortured by the Russian occupiers in revenge forSumrak.
The dismissal of such an experienced officer behind the scenes caused serious concern among intelligence officers. Experts of InfoLight.UA experts note that such personnel decisions may have unpredictable consequences for the effectiveness of the DIU in the long term.
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