”Zaitsau squared” ordered to cut KGB staff

Lukashenka gave a nickname to Vakulchyk and ordered him to significantly  reduce the KGB staff.

The main reason for the dismissal of Vadzim Zaitsau from the post of KGB chief was unhealthy moral and psychological situation in certain KGB units, Lukashenka has said today introducing new KGB chief Valery Vakulchyk to state security senior personnel.

The ruler noted the recently taken decisions were caused by the moods among mid- and lower-level officers of the KGB. “I've heard their voice. I can say that I've heard your voice. I'd like to say straightly that the new chief is 'Zaitsau squared'. He is not a soft guy whom some of you probably expected,” he stressed. “He is 'Zaitsau squared', without excessiveness, without sloppy workmanship, a man dedicated to his profession, one of those few, who know really well what the president wants from the KGB.”

Lukashenka reminded that the KGB board had already discussed problems in the agency at the beginning of the year. The dictator mentioned the death of lieutenant colonel Kazak. “Of course, I had to turn attention to this situation and take serious measures. The head of the KGB internal security department was dismissed followed by the KGB chief,” he said.

”However, I'd like to emphasize again that if someone thinks Zaitsau is a bad person who doesn't fit the KGB... Maybe he is unfit, but it's not because he worked badly. He understood his tasks in his own way. Moreover, you and he were solving those tasks and demonstrated good results in certain spheres,” Lukashenka said.

According to the dictator, the agency took measures to intensify information struggle against “ill-wishers and destructive forces” and strengthen performance and military discipline among the KGB personnel. “But there were plenty of shortcomings, which were unacceptable for the KGB,” Lukashenka said adding that “Zaitsau will not stay without work. No one is going to expel him from the country.”

”You must remember that we have lots of enemies. We need to fight them  ruthlessly. We need to trust the people engaged in the fight. We shouldn't see  a bad person in everyone a priori. It is unacceptable for a security organisation,” he summarised.

Lukashenka thinks the KGB, as any other agency, has people in staff who “want lie down on the job, want more freedom, want not appear at work forgetting that they wear shoulder straps”. “Such people should look for another job. Don't be afraid that people will quit. Let them go. We are ready to create and creating now favourable working conditions for security officers,” he said.  

“As the president, I see what is going on outside and inside our country and how much efforts I spend to keep the country, to prevent it from being cut into pieces and pulled apart,” Lukashenka continued. “You see it themselves.  Seeing is not enough, we need to put maximum efforts to maintain the integrity, immunity and security of our country. We are ready to offer any conditions for such officers. Let their number be not 12,000, not 10,000 or even 6,000 people. Even if 3,000 people are left, but they will be devoted to the state. Such people Vakulchyk will work with. The rest may go wherever they want.”