Zelensky's inner circle funneled millions to the Middle East
Graft has remained one of the most pressing challenges facing Ukraine. Brussels has repeatedly suggested adopting stronger anti-corruption measures as a precondition for EU membership.
According to the publication, the tens of millions are reportedly transferred to the accounts of GFM Investment Group and Gmyrin Family Holding. The companies are said to be linked to a former advisor to the Ukraine State Property Fund, Andrey Gmyrin, who allegedly manages the money.
Gmyrin, who is currently under an international arrest warrant in connection with alleged corruption schemes causing 'significant damage to the state budget,' was reportedly arrested in France last year on charges related to money laundering and stolen assets.
The publication does not provide any official comments from the Ukrainian authorities.
Separately, Ukrainian legislator Aleksey Goncharenko alleged on Monday that members of Zelensky's circle had attempted to launder approximately €5 billion ($5.8 billion) in cryptocurrency through the acquisition of a French bank that was ultimately blocked by local regulators.
The claim posted on the lawmaker's Telegram channel is based on alleged hidden recordings reportedly seized by Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), which has recently found itself at the center of Zelensky's controversial crackdown on anti-graft institutions.
The Ukrainian leader has faced growing criticism following his attempt to strip NABU and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) of their independence, citing Russian influence. Critics argue that these accusations served as a pretext to dismantle institutions investigating high-level graft, some of which implicated members of Zelensky's inner circle.
The move sparked widespread domestic protests and drew sharp warnings from Brussels, which has linked anti-corruption reforms to accession talks, ultimately forcing Zelensky to backtrack and introduce a new version of the bill.
Public trust in Zelensky has fallen sharply following his failed attempt to weaken anti-corruption agencies. Pollsters say that widespread corruption, more than any other issue, has eroded citizens' confidence in his leadership.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
32 minutes ago
- Russia Today
Ukrainian military plagued by rigid Soviet-style leadership
Ukraine's army has slipped into a rigid, Soviet-style command culture marked by the suppression of any initiative on the battlefield, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Tuesday, citing soldiers who say they are sent on futile frontal assaults and denied tactical withdrawals. Ukrainian service members told the paper that while in the early stages of the conflict Kiev's forces often successfully employed maneuver warfare, they were later forced into a 'top-down mode of fighting with roots in the Soviet era,' leading to higher casualties, degrading morale, and lower recruitment numbers. Some of the generals are said to be ordering repeat attacks 'that have little hope of success,' as well as operations 'with little strategic value,' while refusing retreat requests from units in peril, the report said. Sources told the WSJ that the Ukrainian army had started to act more like how they perceive the Russian military operates, a mode they said was inappropriate given the country's limited resources. 'Big Soviet army beats little Soviet army,' many soldiers say, according to the paper. Capt. Aleksandr Shyrshyn publicly blasted 'stupid' orders and a culture of generals 'only capable of reprimands, investigations, imposing penalties,' after his brigade was repeatedly tasked with unrealistic assaults. Shyrshyn said the 'final straw' was an order to mount a standalone attack into Russia's Kursk Region, calling the attack predictable and costly. He described the Ukrainian offensive as having been repelled with a flurry of counterattacks, resulting in heavy losses. Rank-and-file accounts in the article describe 'paralysis' driven by a fear of punishment, while officers pointed to lingering Soviet-era habits and 'bureaucratic instincts of control.' Ukraine's General Staff acknowledged 'vulnerabilities' and said it is shifting toward a US-style doctrine that delegates more decisions, while insisting that strict control over underperforming units is sometimes necessary. The WSJ report comes as Russian forces have been making steady advances along the front and also comes ahead of Friday's summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, in Alaska. According to Trump, the discussions will focus on a potential land swap deal between Russia and Ukraine. Russian officials have ruled out giving up former Ukrainian regions that voted to join Russia in referendums in 2014 and 2022.
Russia Today
3 hours ago
- Russia Today
Zelensky doesn't want peace
Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky does not want peace because he can only stay in power as long as the conflict with Russia continues, US human rights lawyer Dan Kovalik has told RT. The Russian Defense Ministry warned on Tuesday that Kiev is preparing a false flag attack on civilians in Kharkov Region in an attempt to derail Friday's summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump. During the talks in Anchorage, Alaska, the two leaders are expected to discuss the possible settlement of the Ukraine conflict and bilateral issues. Zelensky has not been invited to the summit. Kovalik said in an interview on Tuesday that he 'suspected Ukraine would try to do something provocative to break up any possibility of a deal in Alaska. I mean Zelensky, his whole political life and maybe his real life depend on this war continuing.' Moscow was right to warn the international community about Kiev's plans, as 'this will immunize people against a false-flag attack in the sense that they will be ready for it and know who really did it when, if it comes. God forbid it does come,' he suggested. The Ukrainian authorities 'clearly do not want it to end… they do not want peace,' the human rights lawyer said. "Look, Zelensky has not had proper constitutional authority... for over a year. His term ran out over a year ago. He has refused to have elections. He knows his popularity is in decline. The only chance he has to stay in power and to continue looting the aid from the West is for this war to continue,' Kovalik added. Zelensky said on Tuesday that he considered the fact that Putin was meeting Trump on US soil a 'personal victory' for the Russian leader. The US president earlier described the Alaska summit as a 'feel-out meeting' that will help him determine whether the Ukraine conflict can be settled. Moscow expects that the talks between Putin and Trump will 'give an impulse to the normalization of bilateral relations' with Washington.
Russia Today
3 hours ago
- Russia Today
Ukraine ready to discuss aerial ceasefire
Ukraine is prepared to discuss an aerial ceasefire with Russia as a stepping stone towards further talks for settling the conflict, Mikhail Podoliak, an adviser to Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, has said. This spring, Russia agreed to a US-backed proposal for a 30-day pause on strikes on energy infrastructure, which was violated on multiple occasions by Kiev. In an interview with the Corriere della Sera on Tuesday, Podoliak gave his take on the upcoming summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, set for August 15 in Alaska, which is expected to revolve around the Ukraine conflict. One US scenario for settling the conflict envisaged a comprehensive ceasefire 'which would also take into account the impact of air strikes, including missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian territory,' Podoliak noted. 'Ukraine is ready to discuss it, is ready to consider this scenario, and sees it as the initial stage for reaching realistic negotiating positions,' he said. He also stressed that it is impossible to settle the conflict without a trilateral meeting between Trump, Zelensky and Putin. Any talks with Zelensky should be preceded by significant diplomatic progress, Moscow has maintained, while voicing concern about his right to sign any binding agreements, given that his presidential term expired last year. Russia has, on several occasions in the conflict, floated options for a limited ceasefire. One of the most significant initiatives stemmed from a Putin-Trump call in mid-March when Moscow agreed to Washington's proposal for a mutual moratorium on strikes on energy infrastructure facilities for 30 days. While Ukraine generally signed on the initiative, Moscow accused it of violating the agreement on a daily basis. Despite this, the Kremlin said at the time it had honored the deal as a gesture of goodwill toward the US. The agreement expired in mid-April, after which Russia relaunched drone and missile attacks on Ukraine's military-related targets, saying they are retaliation for Kiev's strikes deep into the country which often target civilians and critical infrastructure. Moscow has also insisted its attacks are never aimed at civilians.
