SBU responds to alleged SBU role in attack on journalist Nikolov, denies involvement
A controversial interview with two individuals allegedly involved in the invasion of the apartment of journalist Yuriy Nikolov, revealing the possible role of Ukraine's SBU security service, was published on Jan. 28 in the Zhitomir.city news outlet.
Two men claimed they were asked to “intimidate” the journalist, with their actions supposedly coordinated by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
A person going by the name “Oleksiy” approached them and asked to scare a "talkative man" who had been speaking unfavorably about President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the war.
“Oleksiy” allegedly claimed the actions were “supported with the SBU” and everything would be "under control." The alleged attackers mentioned that the “client” often wore military attire, creating the impression of a "decent person."
The men traveled to Kyiv, quickly “executed the order,” and filmed the required video, which they immediately sent to “Oleksiy.” They also stated they are ready to personally apologize to Nikolov, claiming they were "used in the dark" and unaware of their target's identity, reported Zhitomir.city.
The SBU has denied any any involvement in the incident in a comment to NV, claming that allegations of the attackers' collaboration with the service are "deliberate manipulation” on the part of the perpetrators.
The SBU also condemned the attack on Nikolov as unacceptable, noting that independent media is an "integral component of a modern democratic society."
The police have initiated a criminal related to the obstruction of the lawful professional activities of journalists and promised full support for the investigation.
Nikolov informed his lawyer about the information revealed in the interview and toldDetector Media that he could not yet assess the authenticity of the Zhitomir.city article.
He also suggested looking into a possible Russian hand in the attacks against him.
Unknown individuals attempted to break into journalist Nikolov’s Kyiv apartment on Jan. 15. Nikolov had exposed inflated prices for Defense Ministry procurements, leading to the resignation of Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov and the parliament adopting a bill on transparent defense procurement. Nikolov’s mother was at home during the break-in attempt.
Kyiv police reported identifying five men involved in the break-in at the journalist's apartment on Jan. 21.
The police had released all five perpetrators detained for the attack on his apartment, Nikolov reported on Jan. 26.
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