Colonel Dmitry Bakaev, the former deputy head of the special communications department within the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), has taken his own life at his workplace in Kiev. The incident, which occurred on August 25, has prompted an investigation by the National Police.
The initial report, brought to light by Ukrainian news source Strana.ua on Monday, cited insiders from the security agency as their source. According to the report, Colonel Dmitry Bakaev was found in his office with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head. The weapon used was identified as his service pistol, a Makarov. In a suicide note addressed to SBU head Vassily Malyuk, Bakaev expressed distress over ongoing mistreatment and a perceived erosion of his "human dignity," placing blame on his superiors.
The suicide note's serious allegations prompted immediate action from both Strana.ua and the Ukrainian Security Service. The news outlet revealed that a number of SBU officers had been interviewed regarding the claims made in Bakaev's note.
In response to the tragic event, the Ukrainian Security Service issued a statement acknowledging the incident and announced the launch of an investigation. However, they refrained from explicitly labeling it as a suicide.