Former SBU General Andriy Naumov fled Ukraine with valuables, now appears on Russian NTV; he was appointed by Zelensky and is portrayed as corrupt/traitor
Executive summary
Andriy (Andrii) Naumov, a former SBU internal‑security chief stripped of his rank in April 2022, fled Ukraine the night the full‑scale invasion began and has since been linked to investigations for illegal enrichment, money‑laundering and alleged treason; he was detained and tried in Serbia and later reported to be appearing in Russian TV propaganda segments filmed in Vienna [1] [2] [3]. Ukrainian authorities — including the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and National Anti‑Corruption investigators — suspect he took large sums and may have passed sensitive information to Russian services; Russian media now use his interviews to portray him as a witness to Kyiv’s alleged wrongdoing [1] [2] [4].
1. Fleeing before the invasion, accused of illicit enrichment and treason
Reporting shows Naumov left Ukraine hours before Russia’s February 2022 invasion and was later stripped of his general’s rank by President Zelensky; Ukrainian investigators opened probes into alleged illegal enrichment, embezzlement and possible transfer of classified Chernobyl‑zone information to Russian services [1] [5] [6]. Media investigations earlier highlighted property and income discrepancies and links to contraband import schemes while he worked in state roles, feeding criminal inquiries [2].
2. Serbian detention, money‑laundering case and release on appeal
Naumov was arrested in Serbia in June 2022 attempting to cross into North Macedonia and faced money‑laundering proceedings in Niš; he was convicted in 2023 but — pending appeal — was released from custody in December under travel restrictions, per reporting on the Serbian court process [7] [2]. Balkan reporting has also noted that Serbia initially was not asked to extradite him in some phases, complicating Kyiv’s efforts to bring him home for prosecution [8].
3. Placement on Interpol list and Ukrainian requests for extradition
Interpol placed Naumov on an international wanted list at Ukraine’s request amid allegations tied to treason and collaboration with Russian intelligence; Ukrainian prosecutors linked him to the broader treason probe that also implicated other SBU figures earlier in the war [6] [5]. Some outlets report the Serbian courts took Zelensky’s public labeling of Naumov a “traitor” into account when weighing extradition requests [9].
4. Russian television appearances and propaganda value
Multiple outlets report Naumov has granted video interviews to Russian state TV — notably an extended NTV segment shot in Vienna — and Ukrainian media and analysts treat those broadcasts as part of a Kremlin propaganda effort to discredit Kyiv [4] [10] [11]. Russian channels are presenting him as a critic of Zelensky’s office; Ukrainian outlets call the interviews “propaganda” and warn Moscow may use him in show‑trial narratives [3] [10].
5. What investigators allege (evidence vs. claims)
Ukrainian authorities accuse Naumov of illegal enrichment (over 3.2 million hryvnias alleged), fraud and abuse of office, and of handing over sensitive information about Chernobyl‑area systems that could have helped Russian operations in 2022; these are formal suspicions and criminal proceedings referenced by the SBI and Ukrainian reporting [1] [2]. Available sources document the allegations and investigative actions but do not publish full evidentiary dossiers in the open press; public reporting includes court decisions, SBI statements and investigative journalism findings [2] [1].
6. Competing narratives and implicit agendas
Ukrainian authorities and independent outlets treat Naumov as a fugitive accused of corruption and treason whose Russian media appearances serve Moscow’s information war; pro‑Russian and Russian state media present him as a whistleblower exposing Kyiv’s crimes [4] [10] [11]. Observers note the Kremlin benefits politically from amplifying accusations against top Ukrainian officials during a period when Kyiv is also grappling with high‑profile corruption scandals that have shaken Western trust [12] [13].
7. Wider context: Ukrainian anti‑corruption politics and reputational fallout
Ukraine in 2025 faces major anti‑corruption scandals — including a $100 million energy graft probe that led to senior resignations — which have damaged Kyiv’s reputation and made Russian propaganda narratives about Ukrainian corruption more resonant abroad [13] [14] [15]. Analysts warn that Moscow’s information operations deliberately exploit these scandals to undermine Western support for Ukraine [16].
8. Limits of available reporting and what remains unknown
Open reporting establishes allegations, court actions in Serbia, Interpol notices and Russian TV appearances [2] [7] [4], but available sources do not publish a complete, public evidentiary record proving treason or detailing exactly what classified materials Naumov may have passed; forensic case files and classified intelligence assessments are not in the cited reporting [1] [6]. Judicial outcomes on final appeals, the full contents of Naumov’s televised claims, and any potential movement toward transfer to Russian custody are described in news accounts but lack comprehensive public disclosure [7] [10].
Bottom line: Ukrainian investigators have built a public dossier of corruption and treason suspicions against Naumov and sought his extradition; he has been tried in Serbia and subsequently surfaced on Russian television, where his testimony is used by Moscow to attack Kyiv — a dynamic that blends criminal allegations with information‑war objectives and is amplified by contemporaneous Ukrainian corruption scandals [1] [7] [4].