Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhnyi looks on before a meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other officials in Kiev, Ukraine, Oct. 19, 2021 (AP)

Ukraine's security service initiated a criminal investigation following the discovery of a non-operational "technical device" in an office, potentially intended for future use by the country's commander-in-chief, Valery Zaluzhniy.

The investigation has been launched under a relevant article in Ukraine's criminal code concerning the "unlawful acquisition, sale, or use of special technical means for obtaining information."

The device was found to be in a non-operational state, and it was emphasized that it was not discovered in Zaluzhniy's office.

"The Security Service of Ukraine has opened a criminal proceeding based on the discovery of a technical device in one of the potential deployment locations of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny," the Security Services of Ukraine said in a post on X.

Служба безпеки України відкрила кримінальне провадження за фактом виявлення технічного пристрою в одному з потенційних місць дислокації головнокомандувача Збройних Сил України Валерія Залужного.
➡️ https://t.co/YxqsOFq4VS pic.twitter.com/F8bBrdwVl1
— СБ України (@ServiceSsu) December 17, 2023

This comes amid reports indicating growing discord in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's office following a retreat of Western support for Kiev's forces.

At a recent summit in Brussels, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban refused to approve funding worth €50 billion to support Ukraine's government over the next four years, creating a setback for Kiev.

However, on December 13, Ukraine managed to secure $200 million in aid from the US. While the funding was approved, its acquisition required painstaking efforts on the part of Zelensky.

As Ukraine prepares to join the European bloc, concerns have arisen over the potential consequences for neighboring countries in the agriculture industry.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that Ukraine's ultimate membership in the European Union was still a "long way off."