Ukraine's army commander, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, revealed that a covert listening device was discovered in one of his offices during a routine security sweep. He also said that bugs were detected in other locations, but did not provide further details.
The incident raised suspicions of Russian involvement, as the two countries are engaged in a war that has claimed over 13,000 lives since 2014. Russia has been accused of supporting separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine with weapons, troops, and intelligence.
Zaluzhnyi said that the device was not working when it was found, and that he has several offices where he works. He did not specify which office was bugged, or when the discovery was made.
The Ukrainian military chief is not the only target of espionage and assassination attempts. Last month, his wife was hospitalized after being diagnosed with heavy metals poisoning. The Ukrainian authorities said that the military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, has survived 10 assassination attempts carried out by the Russian state security service, or FSB.
Meanwhile, the conflict in eastern Ukraine continues to claim civilian lives. On Sunday, two civilians were killed and at least two were injured when Russian forces shelled the village of Krasnopillia in the Sumy region. The shelling also damaged residential buildings and infrastructure.
Ukraine and its Western allies have been calling for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, and the implementation of the 2015 Minsk agreements. However, the agreements have been largely ignored by both sides, and the prospects of a lasting peace remain elusive.
