Ukrainian banker Denys Kireev, who allegedly died "during detention" by the SSU in March 2022, warned intelligence about a Russian attack and indicated the direction of the invasion.

 This is reported by The Wall Street Journal with reference to the head of the Directorate General of Defense of the Ministry of Defense, Kirill Budanov.

 The publication published the article "Russian spy or Ukrainian hero?", in which Kireev's role was described. The mass media notes that the Ukrainian banker was not interested in a career in the West. Instead, he started working with the assets of brothers Andriy and Serhiy Klyuevych from the Yanukovych family, who fled Ukraine to the Russian Federation in 2014.

 Budanov notes that Kireev established connections with European intelligence services, as well as with the Russian military and officials. In this connection, he was offered to work with the Main Directorate of Intelligence.

 Attack warning

 The head of the GUR stated that it was Kireyev who warned intelligence about the attack on February 23. He passed on data from Russian sources that helped prepare for the defense of the capital. Budanov explained that Kireev indicated that the Russians would land at Antonov Airport in Gostomel. Kireyev's tip "gave Ukraine a few precious hours to redeploy troops to counter the Russian offensive."

 "If it weren't for Mr. Kireev, most likely, Kyiv would have been taken," Budanov said.

 According to Budanov, in the fall of 2021, when the US warned of an invasion, Kireev confirmed Moscow's plans. Therefore, the head of military intelligence began to sound the alarm.

 Talks

 Budanov also noted that in the first days of the war, when Ukraine and Russia agreed to negotiations, he invited Kireev to join the negotiating team. The banker warned that it was risky for him to appear as part of the Ukrainian delegation, because he would reveal himself as an agent. But later Kireev agreed.

 "Unfortunately, the situation was critical then, and we had to take a risk," explained the scout.

For the second round of negotiations, on March 3, the head of the GUR also insisted that Kireev go to Belarus.

 Death

 Budanov noted that on the night before the negotiations, the banker received a phone call from the office of the head of SSU counterintelligence Oleksandr Poklad. Kireeva was offered a meeting to discuss some issues.

 According to the publication, Kireev went to the Kyiv railway station with his personal security and agents of the GUR to go to Belarus.

 "He told the guards that he could be arrested on the way. The group drove to the center of Kyiv and stopped near the Sophia Cathedral. Several minibuses with SBU agents drove up and ordered the military, scouts and Kireev's bodyguards to hand over their weapons. Kireev was directed to the minibus, and his bodyguard lay on the floor. About 90 minutes later, employees of the State Administration of Ukraine were called to the place where Kireev's body was discovered," the publication notes.

 It is worth noting that, according to the media, the SBU allegedly had evidence of Kireev's treason, including recordings of telephone conversations. But GUR declares that Kireev died "died while performing a special task."

 Later, Volodymyr Zelenskyi awarded him a posthumous medal "for an exceptional contribution to the protection of state sovereignty and state security." Kireev was buried next to the first minister of foreign affairs of Ukraine.