Putin's closest ally in Ukraine arrested in special operation

Viktor Medvedchuk.
(Image credit: Ukrainian Presidency/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Image)

Viktor Medvedchuk, Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest ally in Ukraine, was captured on Tuesday during a "lightning-fast and dangerous" special operation, the head of Ukraine's security service said.

Medvedchuk, 67, was charged with treason in May 2021, accused of selling military secrets to Russia and exploiting natural resources in Crimea. He escaped from house arrest not long after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February. It isn't immediately known where Medvedchuk was found and how he was arrested.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.