Ukraine's secret services arrest a pro-Russian politician and friend of Putin in a "dangerous and ultra-fast" operation

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's security services

said on Tuesday they had arrested pro-Russian politician

's closest and most influential ally

in Ukraine.

President

had previously posted a photo of a handcuffed and tired-looking Medvedchuk, who

"A special operation was carried out thanks to the SBU (Ukrainian security services, ndlr). Bravo!" Zelensky said on his

In February,

said that Medvedchuk, the leader of the

had escaped house arrest.

Last year, authorities opened a

against Medvedchuk, who denies any wrongdoing.

"You can be a pro-Russian politician and work for the aggressor state for years. You may have been hiding from justice lately. You can even wear a Ukrainian military uniform to camouflage yourself," the security services said in an online post.

"But will it help you escape punishment? Not at all! The shackles are waiting for you and the same goes for traitors to Ukraine like you."

Medvedchuk, 67,

after being accused of "high treason" and "attempted looting of natural resources in

a Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.

On

two days after the start of the Russian invasion, the police confirmed that he

The publication quoted

as saying that his agents had "carried out a dangerous and ultra-fast multi-level special operation" to arrest Medvedchuk, but gave no details.

Last month, Zelensky said that the Opposition Platform - For Life, which is Ukraine's largest opposition movement, and several other smaller political parties with links to Russia had been suspended.

A Medvedchuk spokesman was not available for comment.

spokesman

said he could not know if the photo was real or a doctored image.

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