Latest news with #YuliaTymoshenko
BBC News
24-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Ukraine: Andriy Portnov's murder leaves unanswered questions and little sympathy
Andriy Portnov's murder in a Madrid suburb has shocked Ukrainians, but it has not exactly triggered an outpouring of controversial former official had just dropped his children off at the American School when he was shot several times in the car image of his lifeless body lying face down in a gym kit marked the end of a life synonymous with Ukrainian corruption and Russian media have been discussing the 51-year-old's frequent threats to journalists, as well as his huge influence under the country's last pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych."A man who called for the killing of political opponents suddenly got what he wanted from others," observed reporter Oleksandr Holubov. News website Ukrayinska Pravda even called him "the devil's advocate". Rare words of restraint came from Portnov's once political rival Serhiy Vlasenko, an MP, who said: "You can't kill people. When discussing someone's death, we must remain human."Portnov was controversial and widely disliked. The motives for his murder may seem evident, but his death has still left unanswered questions. 'A kingpin' Before entering Ukrainian politics, Portnov ran a law firm. He worked with then-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko until 2010, before defecting to Yanukovych's camp when he won the election."It was a big story of betrayal," remembers Ukrainian journalist Kristina Berdynskykh. "Because Tymoshenko was a pro-Western politician, and Yanukovych pro-Russian." The adviser became the country's first deputy head of the Presidential Office and set up a national criminal code in 2012. For him, his critics say, his ascent was less about politics, and more about power and influence."He was just a good lawyer, everyone knew he was very smart," Kristina tells the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, Ukraine inherited a judicial system in desperate need of reform. Mykhailo Zhernakov, a legal expert and head of the Dejure Foundation believes Portnov remoulded it in order for the government to cover up illegal schemes, and to mask Russian attempts to control the country."He was the kingpin, mastermind and architect of this corrupt legal system designed to serve the pro-Russian administration at the time," he says. 'A rotten system' Over a decade, Portnov would sue journalists who wrote negative stories about him through the courts and judges he controlled. His attempts to control the judicial system would lead to him being sanctioned by the the time, Washington accused the adviser of placing loyal officials in senior positions for his own benefit, as well as "buying court decisions".Portnov later pursued activists who took part in Ukraine's Maidan Revolution, which toppled Viktor Yanukovych from power, and forced him to escape the country to Russia."He used sexual threats," says Oksana Romaniuk who remembers her and other journalists' interactions with Portnov director of the Institute of Mass Information, she monitors free speech in a damning report was published, the reaction was familiar and consistent. "When people exposed his corruption, he accused them of fake news," she says."Even when journalists had documents and testimonies backing up the allegations, it was impossible to win the lawsuits in court. It was impossible to defend yourself. It was a rotten system." Andriy Portnov eventually settled in Moscow after his old boss Yanukovych fled in 2014. Investigative reporter Maksym Savchuk subsequently investigated his ties to Moscow, as well as his extensive property portfolio there."He responded with words I don't want to quote, derogatory ones about my mother," he remembers. "It's a trait of his character; he is a very vindictive person."Even after leaving Ukraine, Portnov still tried to influence Ukrainian politics by taking control of pro-Kremlin TV channel returned in 2019, only to flee again with the full-scale invasion in irony of Portnov eventually settling in Spain and sending his children to a prestigious American school has not been lost on many. Alongside the undisguised delight in Portnov's death, there has been endless speculation over who was responsible."It could have been the Russians because he knew so many things," suggests legal expert Mykhailo Zhernakov."He was involved in so many shady Russian operations it could be them or other criminal groups. He managed to annoy a lot of people," he says. Despite the motives being clearer on this side of the border, Ukrainian security sources appear to be trying to distance themselves from the killing. Kyiv has previously carried out assassinations in Russian-occupied territory and in Russia itself, but not in Spanish media reports suggest his murder was not political, but rather over "economic reasons or revenge"."You can imagine how many people need to be interrogated in order to narrow down the suspects," thinks Maskym Savchuk. "Because this person has a thousand and one enemies."In Ukraine, Portnov is seen as someone who helped Russia form the foundations for its invasion. A once general dislike of him has only been intensified since this, Mykhailo Zhernakov hopes his death is also an opportunity for wider judicial reforms."Just because he's gone doesn't mean his influence has," he warns. "Because many of the people he appointed or helped get jobs are still in the system."Additional reporting by Hanna Chornous.
Russia Today
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Russia Today
Kiev opens LGBT film festival on Good Friday
Ukraine's LGBTQ community has sparked outrage by scheduling its top film festival, Sunny Bunny, to coincide with Easter week. The event opened on Good Friday, April 18, and will run through April 25 in Kiev. In 2025 all Christian denominations are celebrating Easter on the same day, and the festival's timing and queerly seasonal name have drawn a backlash from conservative politicians and religious figures. Former Ukrainian PM Yulia Tymoshenko, who now leads the opposition Fatherland (Batkivshchyna) party, expressed outrage over the festival's opening on Good Friday. In a social media post, she criticized the decision, rhetorically asking, 'Do you know what 'nothing sacred' literally looks like?' Several other members of Ukraine's parliament have also voiced disapproval. MP Aleksey Goncharenko described the event as 'a provocation against Ukrainian traditions, faith, and the frontline soldiers who have died with a prayer on their lips.' Writing on his Telegram channel, he added, 'This is a disregard for the millions of people for whom Good Friday is a day of silence, sorrow, and prayer.' Launched in 2008 as part of another event, Sunny Bunny became a standalone festival in June 2023—one year after the conflict in Ukraine escalated. Ukrainian MP Daniil Getmantsev also condemned the timing, saying it damages the public image of the LGBTQ community. Festival organizers stated the timing was not intended to offend religious groups. They explained that the dates were selected based on the international festival calendar and logistics, emphasizing that Ukraine is a secular country. Organizers also described some of the criticism as homophobic, arguing references to Christian holidays were being used to 'mask homophobia and hatred.' The festival has previously required heightened security. In 2023, before its opening, two cinemas in Kiev received threats of attacks and arson over their involvement. The LGBTQ movement in Ukraine has sought to raise its profile amid the conflict with Russia, with supporters framing it as a defiant statement. Ukrainian LGBTQ groups have also launched fundraisers to purchase drones for Kiev's armed forces and encouraged supporters to contribute. Russia banned 'LGBT propaganda' in 2022 and designated the LGBT movement as a terrorist organization in 2024. Russian MP Sergey Mironov denounced the festival, claiming it reflects a rejection of traditional values. He said, 'Today, people with traditional beliefs are no longer needed in Ukraine,' calling LGBT culture a threat to civilization and describing the situation as 'lunacy.' He added, 'Thank God we in Russia are spared from this.'
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukrainian lawmaker shot dead in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, media report
A man's body was found by the side of a road in the city of Kamianske, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, on March 28, the National Police reported. Multiple Ukrainian media outlets reported, citing law enforcement sources, that the deceased was Oleksandr Plakhotnik, a member of ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party and a former deputy mayor of Kamianske. According to the police, the man had a gunshot wound to the head. "We believe that this is a contract killing, we are all shocked," Volodymyr Fedorov, head of the information and analysis department of Batkivshchyna's regional branch, told Suspilne. The police launched an investigation into the incident under the article on premeditated murder. Plakhotnik, 49, ran for the Verkhovna Rada on the Batkivshchyna party ticket in 2014 and 2019 but was not elected. In 2015, he was elected to the Kamianske City Council. Read also: White House dismisses Putin's proposal for temporary government in Ukraine We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
