Ukraine peace negotiator shot dead ‘defending the nation’ amid claims he was a ‘double agent’ working for Russia
A MEMBER of Ukraine's peace negotiations team has been shot dead amid claims he may have been spying for Russia.
Officials in Kyiv said Denis Kireev, 45, a spy and former banker, was killed during an operation "defending the nation".
The government hailed him a hero hours after MPs had earlier claimed he had committed "treason" and was executed by the Ukrainian intelligence agency.
Both Russian and Ukrainian sources made claims about his alleged spying activities including that he may have been working for both sides.
Mr Kireev's name was not on the list of Ukraine's official delegation to peace talks with Russia last week.
However he was pictured sitting on the Ukrainian side of the negotiating table at the first round of talks on February 28.
His exact role in the summit was unclear.
Yesterday gory photographs posted online showed Mr Kireev dead in a pool of blood.
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Uncorroborated sources claimed he was "literally executed" in the centre of Kyiv.
Rumours then quickly began circulating which claimed Ukraine executed Mr Kireev because he was spying for Putin's war machine.
Russia claimed the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) shot him during an arrest attempt.
Senor Ukrainian politicians were among those in Kyiv who claimed Mr Kireev died while in SBU detention.
Last night Ukraine's ministry of defence confirmed he was dead in a tribute to three "spies", without revealing how they died.
It comes as:
- Heartbreaking photos show the horrors of Vladimir Putin's war - including a baby being carried amongst the rubble
- Russian generals have been urged to ASSASSINATE demented Putin to stop the war in Ukraine
- It is feared Vlad may begin to chemical weapons on civilians like he did in Syria
- Brits have been told to leave Russia - but there are no direct flights to the UK
- Russian troops are now 20 miles from another nuke plant amid fears of a catastrophe in Ukraine
- Dramatic footage showed the moment a Russian helicopter was blown out of the sky by Ukraine
- Russia losses are mounting - and Vlad has lost at least three army commanders in the fighting
- F1 driver Nikita Mazepin - son of Russian oligarch Dmitry Mazepin - was sacked by the Haas team
An official statement said: “During the execution of special tasks, three spies were killed - employees of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
"The fate of Alexei Ivanovich, Chibineev Valery Viktorovich, Denis Borisovich Kireev.
";They perished defending Ukraine, and their rank brought us closer to victory!”
"We express our sincere condolences to the families of the victims.
"Heroes do not die! They live as long as we remember them!
"Glory to Ukraine! Glory to heroes!"
Mr Kireev was present during the first round of Russia-Ukraine talks in Belarus.
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Russian broadsheet Pravda reported tonight that Ukraine had "clear evidence" of his "treason", including phone conversations.
Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has previously discussed the challenges faced by officials during talks between the two countries.
"Negotiations were efficient, they listened to us... we listened to them," he said.
"But we will definitely need the humanitarian corridors.
"We need them to help our people and liberate them."
Meanwhile, Putin has today made a direct threat to the UK.
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The tyrant raged that Western sanctions against his regime are like a "declaration of war".
In a rambling speech broadcast on state media, which is banned from reporting how his invasion has stalled against a brave Ukrainian resistance, he lashed out at the crippling sanctions in place.
"These sanctions that are being imposed are akin to a declaration of war but thank God it has not come to that," the president said.
Later his foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova issued a sinister threat to the UK.
She said: "Russia will not forget Britain's desire to co-operate with ultra-nationalist forces in Ukraine and the supply of British weapons to the Kyiv regime.
"The sanctions hysteria in which London plays one of the leading, if not the main, roles, leaves us no choice but to take proportionately tough retaliatory measures.
"London has made a final choice of open confrontation with Russia."
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While Russia is battered at home economically, Putin's forces are also seeing themselves getting beaten back in Ukraine.
Kyiv today claimed their defence forces have now killed or captured more than 10,000 Russian soldiers.
