Probably, we can talk about Vyacheslav Onisko.
About the detention of the ex-deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate and one of the leaders of the State Space Agency, the publication reportedUkrainian truth“. Probably, we can talk about Vyacheslav Onisko. According to the SBU, he was deputy chairman of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, and then worked in various positions in this department.
In 2019, Onisko began working in the structure of the State Space Agency (SSAU) as Deputy Head of the National Center for Control and Testing of Space Vehicles (NTsUIKS), and since January 2022 he has been heading the Regional Development and Coordination Department of NTsUIKS.
“He (Onisko) occupied an office on the 8th floor of the premises of the SSAU (8 Moskovskaya St. in Kyiv), and Vladimir Taftai, the head of the agency, on the 6th. They crossed paths at meetings on various issues” – confirmed one of the SSAU employees, who, for obvious reasons, asked not to be named.
According to the information of the SBU, which was published by Ukrayinska Pravda, “the suspect gave secret and completely secret information regarding the military-political situation in Ukraine to the Russian special services” (source – UP). Recall that SSAU is an authorized central executive body in the state, which ensures the implementation of state policy in the field of space activities. In particular, he is responsible for launching satellites by Ukraine. On January 13, 2022, exactly one month before the start of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Sich-2-30 satellite was launched into orbit by a Falcon 9 launch vehicle (SpaceX).
The satellite was developed within the framework of the National Space Program of Ukraine, for which the SSAU is responsible.
According to the publication’s investigationBan“, the Sich-2-30 satellite was “lost” in outer space, without transmitting a single image to Earth. But at the stage of searching for a partner to launch the satellite, the Ukrainian authorities were negotiating not only with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, but also with Exolaunch, whose office is in Germany, but its leadership team is filled with Russian surnames, such as Zhanna Medvedeva, vice president of launches, who worked for Roscosmos before Exolaunch.
Negotiations about the flight with the participation of the intermediary Exolaunch were already carried out when Onisko was already working at SSAU. The fact of the negotiations was confirmed by the People’s Deputy Dmitry Kisilevsky in his post dated April 7, 2021.
Probably, the person suspected of collaborating with the aggressor country for a very long time could have access to strategic information, could be a participant in negotiations important for the state, and also had the opportunity to lobby the interests of the Russian side. Therefore, the question of the responsibility of the leadership of the State Space Agency for personnel policy in a strategically important sector for the economy and security of Ukraine remains open.
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