Category Ukrainian Oligarchs

Sep 4 2023

As Expected, Ukraine Removes Defense Minister After Corruption Probe – Next Up in Rotation, Another Corrupt Defense Minister


Posted originally on the CTH on September 3, 2023 | Sundance 

As we noted last week, this was very likely going to happen. Oleksiy Reznikov (pictured below left) has been removed.

A corrupt minister is caught stealing and skimming money for his/her own benefit. The corrupt minister is fired and replaced with another corrupt minister, and then the clock starts ticking until the replacement makes a mistake and gets caught doing the same thing as his predecessor.

The corrupt activity in Kyiv is identical to the corrupt activity in Washington DC, because it is created by the same corrupt process. Wash – Rinse – Repeat.

(Via Politico) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced late Sunday that he will replace the country’s defense minister, even as Kyiv’s counteroffensive appears to be gaining ground with its troops pushing into Russian-held territory. [😂]

The departure of Oleksiy Reznikov as defense chief marks the highest-level turnover in Zelenskyy’s inner circle since the start of the war in February 2022. It comes as the Ukrainian government is stepping up efforts to deal aggressively with corruption allegations involving military officials.

In a video message Sunday night, the Ukrainian leader announced that Reznikov would be replaced as defense minister by Rustem Umerov, the head of the country’s State Property Fund.

“Reznikov has gone through more than 550 days of full-scale war,” Zelenskyy said. “I believe the ministry now needs new approaches and other formats of interaction with both the military and society as a whole.”

There have been rumblings for weeks that Rezniko’s days were numbered. His reputation took several hits earlier this year over a handful of wartime scandals in the Defense Ministry in which officials were accused of profiteering. While Reznikov was never implicated, the revelations were a black eye not only for his ministry, but for him personally.

Zelenskyy called on the country’s parliament to approve the decision as soon as possible. (read more)

Sep 3 2023

Ukraine Defense Minister Likely to Be Removed, Following Corruption Probe


Posted originally on the CTH on September 2, 2023 | Sundance 

If you have watched World War Reddit, and understand the basic premise of Ukraine as a U.S. money laundering operation, then you likely understand why and how the recipient side of the $100 billion U.S. aid package is filled with graft and corruption.

Each Ukraine official who is caught using the money for their personal enrichment, is replaced by another person who engages in the same activity.  Successful anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine are futile, because everything attached to the U.S. created Ukraine government is corrupt.

A corrupt minister is caught stealing and skimming money for his/her own benefit. The corrupt minister is fired and replaced with another corrupt minister, and then the clock starts ticking until the replacement makes a mistake and gets caught doing the same thing as his predecessor.

The corrupt activity in Kyiv is identical to the corrupt activity in Washington DC, because it is created by the same corrupt process.   Wash – Rinse – Repeat.

In the latest exhibition…

[Via Zero Hedge} – […] Defense chief Oleksiy Reznikov has overseen a series of embarrassing military corruption scandals at a time Kiev is trying to tout its democratic and corruption reform credentials. He could be dismissed from the top post as early as next week and given a new role as ambassador to the United Kingdom.

But the decision is “not finalized” according to sources speaking to Kyiv Post, which names Rustem Umerov – currently head of the State Property Fund – as a likely candidate to replace Reznikov.

DM Reznikov has overseen Ukraine’s military and defense strategy since the start of the Feb. 2022 invasion, but the much-hyped counteroffensive launched at the start of the summer has been widely seen as a failure, despite tens of billions of dollars of Western aid and weaponry.

Reznikov is now front and center in an anti-graft probe, Bloomberg writes, citing local Ukrainian media:

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s anti-graft crackdown is fueling speculation that he may dismiss Ukraine’s defense minister following accusations of corruption linked to procuring military supplies.

The Ukrayinska Pravda newspaper, citing sources it didn’t name, said on Thursday Minister Oleksii Reznikov may be replaced as early as next week. The report followed accusations from anti-corruption activists and media that under his leadership the ministry has purchased food and uniforms at inflated prices. It also coincides with comments from a lawmaker that Reznikov may be shifted to the post of Kyiv’s ambassador to the UK.

Additionally, parliament’s People’s Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak, wrote in a Thursday Telegram post that “…Rustem Umerov will be nominated for the position of Minister of Defense.” 

Kyiv Post has detailed the latest scandal as follows:

The latest scandal was exposed by Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Nikolov who, citing sources at the State Customs Service of Ukraine, reported that the Ministry of Defense had acquired 233,000 winter jackets for $20 million from a Turkish firm.

Documentation from customs regarding one shipment unveiled a startling increase in cost for a batch of 4,900 jackets en route from Turkey to Ukraine.

The price had tripled, soaring from $142,000 to $421,000 (a per-unit rise from $29 to $86). Furthermore, it was revealed that the jackets, despite being marketed as winter wear, turned out to be lightweight. (link)

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Aug 31 2023

Ukraine Desperate to Start World War III


Armstrong Economics Blog/Ukraine Re-Posted Aug 31, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The Ukrainians carried out a mass attack with 20 kamikaze drones against the Pskov air base 700 km from the border with Ukraine and 30 km from Estonia. The drones hit an airport near Russia’s border with Estonia and Latvia, causing a huge blaze and damaging four Il-76 military transport planes, which can carry heavy machinery and troops, the Russian state news agency Tass reported, citing emergency officials.

The development is very serious. Either the Ukrainian attack was made through the Baltic States’ air space, which is, therefore, NATO, or, as some believe, they were fired from Estonia, pointing the finger at Ukraine, which has not confirmed or denied the attack. Either way, this is becoming a war between NATO and Russia, which means the Neocons are working hard to achieve their Christmas give – World War III.

Even Orbán of Hungary has come out and said that the US needs to call back Trump. “That’s the only way out. Call back Trump.” He knows that the Neocons have staged a coup of the United States, and they are achieving their dream – World War III and the personal destruction of Russia.

Meanwhile, as hedge funds lose their shirt and the live savings of their clients because of their bearish bias against the dollar, never before has the dollar been used as extensively in international payments as it is today. There is even a revolt internally at the famed Goldman Sachs. Just about everyone is bashing David Solomon from the  New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, and The Economist.

Despite this talk of de-dollarization, the losses have been massive. The use of the euro, on the other hand, has plummeted, as SWIFT data shows. More and more serious institutions have been reaching out to us and have come to their own conclusions that the Euro is on life-support. It cannot survive while NATO ramps up war.

Aug 25 2023

Ukraine to Bribe Whistleblowers


Armstrong Economics Blog/Corruption Re-Posted Aug 24, 2023 by Martin Armstron

The corruption is so widespread in Ukraine that the government is offering whistleblowers payment for reporting any fraud. The National Agency of Corruption Prevention has created a digital portal for Ukrainians to report any suspected corruption to receive a reward. Tell-tales may receive 10% of the bounty up to 14 million hryvnias ($380,000).

A recent poll found that nearly 80% of Ukrainians admitted Zelensky is responsible for ongoing corruption. The same survey found that 89% of the population believes corruption is the #2 problem facing the nation, with Russia being #1. A second poll by the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation found that 77.6% of Ukrainians believe Zelensky is “directly responsible” for ongoing corruption. Nobody in Ukraine thinks Zelensky is a good guy despite the Western media praising him as a fearless, noble leader. This is why they skipped over the most recent election because the people do not want Zelensky, who was installed by the West, to remain in power.

Zelensky laid off his recruitment officials after finding out they were accepting $10,000 bribes. His administration tracked down men who paid a fee to avoid the draft. “This system should be run by people who know exactly what war is and why cynicism and bribery during war is high treason,” Zelensky ironically stated.

This new program will cause internal strife as neighbors begin to fear one another. Everyone recalls the tactics of the old Soviet Union where citizens were made to believe that their loyalty should reside in the government over their neighbors, friends, and family. We see the same thing in North Korea today and in many other nations. Even the US has a kickback for those who report corruption. I suppose this is the system Joe Biden used when he received his 10% for the Big Guy through Hunter’s dealings. This will not prevent corruption, but rather it will encourage the people to accuse their neighbors of being criminals for a government bribe. Is someone reporting Zelensky through this portal for funneling billions into Ukraine for a war that was planned out nearly 10 years ago?

Aug 22 2023

Ukraine’s Counteroffensive Is Officially a Failure—It’s Time to Reevaluate. Trump Indictments Boost Already-Significant Primary Lead. Covering the Republican Debate LIVE From Milwaukee | SYSTEM UPDATE #134


Glen Greenwald posted originally on Rumble on:Aug 21, 7:00 pm EDT

Aug 21 2023

How Ukrainian Oligarchs Spend Humanitarian Aid


Armstrong Economics Blog/Corruption Re-Posted Aug 21, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Are you not curious about where the endless blank checks to Ukraine are going? They are usually labeled as something vague like humanitarian aid or weapons. One Ukrainian top military official seems to have stumbled into wealth amid a full-scale war. Odesa Military Commissariat, Yevhen Borisov, has spent millions of dollars on funding a newfound luxurious lifestyle.

Borisov purchased a €3 million villa in Spain, as well as office space in the chic and expensive city of Marbella. The military commander also purchased multiple luxury vehicles during this time. He now owns a 2022 Mercedes-Benz B-class electric car with a retail price that begins at $100,000. He bought 2023 Toyota Land Cruiser SUV as well, and Pravada estimates that all his new cars retail for at least half a million USD.

The Kyiv Post reported that Borisov denies making any luxury purchases. Instead, he claims his wife, mother, and mother-in-law all made purchases, some under his name, and he “doesn’t know whether his relatives bought real estate on the Spanish coast.” I think most wives or mothers would mention to their provider spouse or son if they purchased a multi-million dollar villa in a foreign country. He claims his mother-in-law purchased a Land Cruiser for herself, amid the war, that other nations are funding.

The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has been investigating Yevhen Borisov and his family ONLY because they were caught. Spain offers Ukrainians a “golden visa” if they invest more than €500,000 euros in the country, and this often become a fast-track method to obtaining permanent residency. Spain is also offering Ukrainians €400 per month as war refugees. Regardless, Borisov is NOT the only Ukrainian oligarch profiting from the war. His newfound wealth happened precisely when countless Western nations began to provide unlimited aid to Ukraine without asking for a receipt.