The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has announced the start of pretrial investigation against People's Deputy Oleksandr Onyschenko who was placed on the national wanted list on grounds of treason, Head of the Main Investigation Department of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Hryhoriy Ostafiychuk has said.

"We have received evidence that indicates to the presence of individual features of criminal offense in Onyschenko’s actions provided by Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine as treason," Ostafiychuk said at a briefing in Kyiv on Thursday.

He added that the pretrial investigation of the case is underway.

"It is necessary to collect enough data to give notice of suspicion ... If we notify of a suspicion, then the supervisor of pretrial proceedings will solve the issue of an appropriate jurisdiction of the case," Ostafiychuk said.