Latest news with #VladimirZelensky
Russia Today
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukrainian man resorts to cross-dressing in bid to flee country – officials (VIDEO)
A Ukrainian man has been caught disguised as a woman in an attempt to flee the country, local authorities have reported. Martial law bans fighting-age males from going abroad without special permission. The 30-year-old suspect was detained at a Ukrainian security checkpoint while traveling by bus from the Black Sea port city of Odessa to Reni, a city located near the border with Romania, across the Danube River. According to a statement from the border guard service on Wednesday, the man was wearing a black satin dress, a wig, and sunglasses in an effort to pose as a female. The individual has been charged with attempting to illegally cross the border. Ukraine announced a general mobilization in February 2022, under which most men between the ages of 18 and 60 are barred from leaving the country. Kiev has struggled with widespread draft evasion throughout the conflict with Russia, with potential recruits hiding from military officers or attempting unauthorized escapes abroad. Authorities have documented various tactics, including bribery, forged documents, and direct attempts to cross the border. The latter approach has led to multiple deaths. Russian officials have accused Vladimir Zelensky's government of pursuing a war strategy that sacrifices its own citizens in order to remain in power. Moscow claims the administration is prolonging a losing fight while enriching itself at the expense of the population. Military mobilization has become a flashpoint in Ukrainian society, where critics allege that wealth and influence provide a path to exemptions. One alleged case was reported on Wednesday by the Dzerkalo Tizhnya newspaper. According to its sources, former Deputy Prime Minister Aleksey Chernyshov allegedly shielded personal staff members from the draft by employing them at a state-owned gas company he was heading. The investigation, initially led by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), was reportedly suspended after the agency was placed under the authority of the prosecutor general. The move has drawn strong criticism from Ukraine's Western backers, prompting the Zelensky administration to signal plans to reverse the decision.
Russia Today
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
EU threatens Ukraine aid freeze
Kiev is facing deeper cuts in EU financial support than it has publicly acknowledged, Ukrainian and German media have reported. Brussels reportedly views Ukraine's crackdown on anti-corruption institutions as an attempt to shield an ally of Vladimir Zelensky. Last Friday, the European Commission said it would reduce support under the Ukraine Facility program from a €4.5 billion ($5.2 billion) installment to €3.05 billion ($3.5 billion), citing Kiev's failure to meet commitments on anti-corruption reforms. However, Ukrainskaya Pravda has reported that the program has been de facto frozen, alongside another mechanism, ERA Loans, with a total of $60 billion at stake. On Monday, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) reported on an EU letter to the Ukrainian government which threatened the suspension of aid. The Ukrainian government has placed two departments established with Western support to address rampant graft in Ukraine – the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) – under the authority of the country's prosecutor general. However, following widespread Western rebukes, Zelensky promised to reverse the decision. Several of Zelensky's close political supporters, particularly in the Defense Ministry, are in danger of becoming caught in the organization's crosshairs. He claimed the move was an effort to eliminate 'Russian influence' in the agencies, but EU experts reportedly found the explanation unconvincing. According to an internal analysis cited by FAZ and shared with EU embassies in Kiev, the changes were described as 'the largest interference in the affairs of the Ukrainian anti-corruption system since its inception.' The analysis also indicated that the action was likely prompted by NABU's investigation into former Deputy Prime Minister Aleksey Chernyshov, a close political ally and personal friend of Zelensky. Ukraine's security service (SBU) allegedly seized case files from NABU investigators, including the lead officer handling the probe, raising concerns about the admissibility of evidence and the integrity of the case. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed that Ukrainian bodies were designed not to combat corruption but to give Western governments leverage over Kiev.
Russia Today
a day ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukrainian army to recruit pensioners
Ukraine will start enlisting men over 60 for contract-based military service, according to a new law signed by Vladimir Zelensky on Tuesday. The measure appears aimed at addressing recruitment shortfalls in the country's armed forces. The new law enables pension-eligible men to enlist for non-combat roles if they are deemed fit by military doctors and approved by a unit commander. Contracts will last for one year and may be renewed upon further approval. Originally introduced in April by a group of lawmakers, the bill passed its second reading in the Verkhovna Rada earlier this month. Under current Ukrainian law, 60 is the minimum retirement age for men. The country announced a general mobilization in February 2022 under which most men between the age of 18 and 60 were barred from leaving the country. In 2024, faced with mounting losses, Kiev lowered the conscription age from 27 to 25 and tightened mobilization rules. The draft campaign has increasingly relied on coercion, sparking numerous violent confrontations between conscription officers and civilians. Reports of beatings, street detentions, and extortion have circulated widely, though Kiev has routinely dismissed such allegations as 'Russian propaganda.' In a recent interview with Hungarian media, Zelensky admitted that mobilization remains a major challenge. More than 213,000 registered cases of desertion have now been reported in Ukraine, with widespread corruption and extortion of combat pay by military commanders listed among the reasons Ukrainian soldiers abandon their units. Earlier this year, Kiev launched a voluntary military recruitment campaign targeting men aged 18 to 24. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the program 'a one-way ticket,' suggesting that Ukraine is 'annihilating' its youth. Russian officials have long said that Kiev's Western backers are ready to fight Moscow 'until the last Ukrainian.'
Russia Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Poland cautions Ukraine over anti-corruption crackdown
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has cautioned Ukraine that halting the fight against corruption would be 'the worst' step the government could take, amid a growing backlash over Kiev's efforts to rein in two key watchdogs. On Tuesday, Ukraine's parliament passed legislation granting the Prosecutor General, a political appointee, direct oversight over the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). The law has triggered mass protests at home and a storm of criticism in the West, forcing Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky to take steps to restore the independence of the two organizations. Speaking to Polsat earlier this week, Sikorski stated that Zelensky had been warned 'the worst thing he could do now is to turn away from the fight against corruption.' The Polish Foreign Ministry later echoed his statement on its official X account. The government's attempt to directly control NABU and SAPO has sparked protests in Kiev, Odessa, Dnepr, Lviv and other cities. The country's Western supporters, including the EU and G7 nations, have sharply criticized the move, warning that it undermines Ukraine's commitment to fighting corruption and jeopardizes its path toward European integration. On Thursday, Zelensky submitted a bill to the legislature, the Rada, aimed at restoring the agencies' independence by scaling back the prosecutor general's powers. He insisted the proposal would preserve the independence of anti-corruption institutions while ensuring the strength of the law enforcement system. The Rada is expected to review the proposed measure on July 31. However, FT reported on Friday, citing sources, that up to 70 MPs from Zelensky's Servant of the People party are hesitant to support the bill, fearing it could lead to politically motivated prosecutions against them. NABU and SAPO were created following the US-backed 2014 coup in Kiev as part of sweeping reforms to align Ukraine with Western governance standards. Their establishment was a key condition set by Brussels and the International Monetary Fund in exchange for financial assistance. Both agencies have led high-profile investigations, including some involving figures close to Zelensky.
Russia Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Poland cautions Ukrkaine over anti-corruption crackdown
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has cautioned Ukraine that halting the fight against corruption would be 'the worst' step the government could take, amid a growing backlash over Kiev's efforts to rein in two key watchdogs. On Tuesday, Ukraine's parliament passed legislation granting the Prosecutor General, a political appointee, direct oversight over the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). The law has triggered mass protests at home and a storm of criticism in the West, forcing Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky to take steps to restore the independence of the two organizations. Speaking to Polsat earlier this week, Sikorski stated that Zelensky had been warned 'the worst thing he could do now is to turn away from the fight against corruption.' The Polish Foreign Ministry later echoed his statement on its official X account. The government's attempt to directly control NABU and SAPO has sparked protests in Kiev, Odessa, Dnepr, Lviv and other cities. The country's Western supporters, including the EU and G7 nations, have sharply criticized the move, warning that it undermines Ukraine's commitment to fighting corruption and jeopardizes its path toward European integration. On Thursday, Zelensky submitted a bill to the legislature, the Rada, aimed at restoring the agencies' independence by scaling back the prosecutor general's powers. He insisted the proposal would preserve the independence of anti-corruption institutions while ensuring the strength of the law enforcement system. The Rada is expected to review the proposed measure on July 31. However, FT reported on Friday, citing sources, that up to 70 MPs from Zelensky's Servant of the People party are hesitant to support the bill, fearing it could lead to politically motivated prosecutions against them. NABU and SAPO were created following the US-backed 2014 coup in Kiev as part of sweeping reforms to align Ukraine with Western governance standards. Their establishment was a key condition set by Brussels and the International Monetary Fund in exchange for financial assistance. Both agencies have led high-profile investigations, including some involving figures close to Zelensky.
