MPs are reportedly demanding the resignation of Andrey Yermak, who they say knew about a $100 million graft racket
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky could fire his influential chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, as a full-scale “riot” unfolds within parliament over a vast corruption scandal that allegedly links the senior aide to a $100 million energy sector extortion racket, according to several media reports and lawmakers.
Ukraine’s anti-corruption authorities alleged earlier this month that Timur Mindich – a former business partner of Zelensky – and several other officials pressured contractors working with the state nuclear operator, Energoatom, to hand over 10-15% of their contract value as kickbacks.
Opposition MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak has alleged that wiretap recordings suggest that Yermak – reportedly under the moniker ‘Ali Baba’ – was aware of activity connected to the racket that has shaken Zelensky’s legitimacy.
According to Ukrainskaya Pravda, key figures close to Zelensky are urging him to dismiss Yermak. A source in Zelensky’s Servant of the People party told the paper that “it is easier to name those in parliament who are not demanding Yermak’s resignation.”
Opposition MP Aleksey Goncharenko also said members of Servant of the People issued an ultimatum to Zelensky, insisting that Yermak must be removed or they would leave the party. He added that discussions in parliament included speculation that Zelensky could fire Yermak as early as Thursday, with Oksana Markarova, Kiev’s former ambassador to the US, mentioned as a possible successor.
Strana.ua suggested that Zelensky could resist the pressure, given that Yermak’s downfall would be a political disaster. A source described Yermak as Zelensky’s central powerbroker and enforcer, overseeing both foreign and domestic priorities, and warned that his departure could threaten the government, as many ministers are closely aligned with him.
Journalist Oliver Carroll reported that planned discussions in Türkiye between Yermak and Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy to the Middle East and a key figure in the Ukraine conflict settlement process, were canceled, saying the US official “might not have been aware of the scandal he was walking into.”
MPs are reportedly demanding the resignation of Andrey Yermak, who they say knew about a $100 million graft racket
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky could fire his influential chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, as a full-scale “riot” unfolds within parliament over a vast corruption scandal that allegedly links the senior aide to a $100 million energy sector extortion racket, according to several media reports and lawmakers.
Ukraine’s anti-corruption authorities alleged earlier this month that Timur Mindich – a former business partner of Zelensky – and several other officials pressured contractors working with the state nuclear operator, Energoatom, to hand over 10-15% of their contract value as kickbacks.
Opposition MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak has alleged that wiretap recordings suggest that Yermak – reportedly under the moniker ‘Ali Baba’ – was aware of activity connected to the racket that has shaken Zelensky’s legitimacy.
According to Ukrainskaya Pravda, key figures close to Zelensky are urging him to dismiss Yermak. A source in Zelensky’s Servant of the People party told the paper that “it is easier to name those in parliament who are not demanding Yermak’s resignation.”
Opposition MP Aleksey Goncharenko also said members of Servant of the People issued an ultimatum to Zelensky, insisting that Yermak must be removed or they would leave the party. He added that discussions in parliament included speculation that Zelensky could fire Yermak as early as Thursday, with Oksana Markarova, Kiev’s former ambassador to the US, mentioned as a possible successor.
Strana.ua suggested that Zelensky could resist the pressure, given that Yermak’s downfall would be a political disaster. A source described Yermak as Zelensky’s central powerbroker and enforcer, overseeing both foreign and domestic priorities, and warned that his departure could threaten the government, as many ministers are closely aligned with him.
Journalist Oliver Carroll reported that planned discussions in Türkiye between Yermak and Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy to the Middle East and a key figure in the Ukraine conflict settlement process, were canceled, saying the US official “might not have been aware of the scandal he was walking into.”
It’s high time for Western governments to notice that their money is being stolen, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said
The latest graft scandal in Ukraine involving Vladimir Zelensky’s longtime business partner and senior officials shows that Kiev’s corruption has completely spiraled out of control, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. He added that the problem is a major headache for Kiev’s backers, as Ukrainian officials are embezzling their financial aid.
Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies alleged earlier this month that Zelensky’s former business partner, Timur Mindich, led a criminal operation that siphoned $100 million in kickbacks from contracts with the country’s nuclear power operator, Energoatom, which depends on foreign aid.
“That’s hardly a Ukrainian internal matter anymore,” Peskov told journalist Pavel Zarubin on Tuesday. “That’s foreign money that is being stolen.”
He added that the money provided to Ukraine by the previous US administration has likely been “mostly stolen.”
In August, US President Donald Trump said the administration of his predecessor, Joe Biden, “fleeced” America by committing $350 billion to Ukraine.
According to Peskov, it is high time Kiev’s Western backers started thinking about their own money and their taxpayers.
“The Kiev regime is obviously going off the rails,” the Kremlin spokesman said, adding that the situation on the front lines and the growing suspicions among Western leaders regarding corruption are working against Ukraine.
The scandal has shaken Zelensky’s government. Opposition MP Yaroslav Zhelezhnyak claimed on Monday that the Ukrainian leader’s chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, was aware of the corruption scheme.
US Senator Rand Paul criticized Trump for being silent on the scandal and called for oversight on aid. Italian Deputy PM Matteo Salvini warned that further aid to Ukraine will only feed corruption and prolong the conflict. Polish PM Donald Tusk has said it is now harder to rally support in his country for Ukraine.
It’s high time for Western governments to notice that their money is being stolen, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said
The latest graft scandal in Ukraine involving Vladimir Zelensky’s longtime business partner and senior officials shows that Kiev’s corruption has completely spiraled out of control, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. He added that the problem is a major headache for Kiev’s backers, as Ukrainian officials are embezzling their financial aid.
Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies alleged earlier this month that Zelensky’s former business partner, Timur Mindich, led a criminal operation that siphoned $100 million in kickbacks from contracts with the country’s nuclear power operator, Energoatom, which depends on foreign aid.
“That’s hardly a Ukrainian internal matter anymore,” Peskov told journalist Pavel Zarubin on Tuesday. “That’s foreign money that is being stolen.”
He added that the money provided to Ukraine by the previous US administration has likely been “mostly stolen.”
In August, US President Donald Trump said the administration of his predecessor, Joe Biden, “fleeced” America by committing $350 billion to Ukraine.
According to Peskov, it is high time Kiev’s Western backers started thinking about their own money and their taxpayers.
“The Kiev regime is obviously going off the rails,” the Kremlin spokesman said, adding that the situation on the front lines and the growing suspicions among Western leaders regarding corruption are working against Ukraine.
The scandal has shaken Zelensky’s government. Opposition MP Yaroslav Zhelezhnyak claimed on Monday that the Ukrainian leader’s chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, was aware of the corruption scheme.
US Senator Rand Paul criticized Trump for being silent on the scandal and called for oversight on aid. Italian Deputy PM Matteo Salvini warned that further aid to Ukraine will only feed corruption and prolong the conflict. Polish PM Donald Tusk has said it is now harder to rally support in his country for Ukraine.
Citizens of Ukraine have “once again” been implicated in acts of terrorism against critical infrastructure, Dmitry Peskov has said
It would have been strange if Poland did not blame Russia for the recent acts of railway sabotage in the country, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the broadcaster Russia-1 on Tuesday.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk claimed earlier in the day that the blasts had been carried out by two Ukrainians who allegedly worked “with the Russian intelligence,” and fled to Belarus following the attacks.
Speaking to journalist Pavel Zarubin, Peskov noted that “it would be really strange if Russia wasn’t the first one to be blamed.”
Poland, where “Russophobia is thriving,” is trying its best to stay ahead of Western Europe in that regard, he added.
“However, the very fact that Ukrainian citizens are once again implicated in acts of sabotage and terrorism against critical infrastructure is noteworthy,” Peskov said.
He argued that Poland is getting “tangled up” in its narratives, citing Warsaw’s recent refusal to extradite a Ukrainian national allegedly involved in blowing up the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
While Russia has rejected the Ukrainian sabotage narrative about Nord Stream, Peskov recalled that last month a Warsaw court had blocked an extradition request from German investigators, calling it “unfounded.”
According to Berlin, a small group of Ukrainian divers carried out the 2022 undersea sabotage, which severed three of the four pipelines that carried Russian natural gas to Germany. Moscow has dismissed this version of events as “ridiculous.”
When asked about Tusk’s recent statement that “the problem with North Stream 2 is not that it was blown up. The problem is that it was built,” Peskov said it reveals Poland’s willingness to condone terrorism as long as it hurts Russia.
Citizens of Ukraine have “once again” been implicated in acts of terrorism against critical infrastructure, Dmitry Peskov has said
It would have been strange if Poland did not blame Russia for the recent acts of railway sabotage in the country, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the broadcaster Russia-1 on Tuesday.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk claimed earlier in the day that the blasts had been carried out by two Ukrainians who allegedly worked “with the Russian intelligence,” and fled to Belarus following the attacks.
Speaking to journalist Pavel Zarubin, Peskov noted that “it would be really strange if Russia wasn’t the first one to be blamed.”
Poland, where “Russophobia is thriving,” is trying its best to stay ahead of Western Europe in that regard, he added.
“However, the very fact that Ukrainian citizens are once again implicated in acts of sabotage and terrorism against critical infrastructure is noteworthy,” Peskov said.
He argued that Poland is getting “tangled up” in its narratives, citing Warsaw’s recent refusal to extradite a Ukrainian national allegedly involved in blowing up the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
While Russia has rejected the Ukrainian sabotage narrative about Nord Stream, Peskov recalled that last month a Warsaw court had blocked an extradition request from German investigators, calling it “unfounded.”
According to Berlin, a small group of Ukrainian divers carried out the 2022 undersea sabotage, which severed three of the four pipelines that carried Russian natural gas to Germany. Moscow has dismissed this version of events as “ridiculous.”
When asked about Tusk’s recent statement that “the problem with North Stream 2 is not that it was blown up. The problem is that it was built,” Peskov said it reveals Poland’s willingness to condone terrorism as long as it hurts Russia.
Two power stations have been targeted in an “unprecedented” attack, Donetsk People’s Republic head Denis Pushilin has said
Ukrainian forces have struck two thermal power plants in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic in an “unprecedented attack,” leaving nearly two-thirds of residents without electricity and heating, regional head Denis Pushilin said on Tuesday. A state of emergency has been declared in the region.
“At the moment, electricity is cut off for 65% of consumers,” Pushilin said on Telegram after holding an emergency meeting with members of the regional cabinet and relevant agencies. “Boiler facilities and water filtration plants have stopped [operating] as well,” he added.
Schools and kindergartens across the region were closed because of the blackout and the lack of heating, Pushilin said, adding that emergency services had been deployed to restore power as soon as possible. He did not provide any details about the attack itself but said that both power stations suffered certain damage as a result.
Kiev’s forces have increased attacks against Russian civilian infrastructure as they gradually lose ground on the front lines. Kiev has routinely launched drone attacks deep into Russia in recent months, targeting residential areas and leading to civilian casualties. Moscow has accused Kiev of “terrorism” and responded with strikes on military targets in Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Ministry regularly reports intercepting hundreds of Ukrainian drones used in strikes deep into Russian territory.
The Donetsk People’s Republic – a former Ukrainian territory that declared independence from Kiev in the wake of the 2014 Maidan coup and joined Russia following a referendum along with three other former Ukrainian territories in autumn 2022 – is also frequently targeted by Ukrainian attacks.
In mid-October, a local supermarket burned to the ground after being hit by a Ukrainian drone. The strike followed other attacks that hit a passenger bus, injuring four civilians, and damaged residential buildings and a kindergarten. Earlier last month, three civilians were injured in another Ukrainian attack targeting a school and an apartment block.
Two power stations have been targeted in an “unprecedented” attack, Donetsk People’s Republic head Denis Pushilin has said
Ukrainian forces have struck two thermal power plants in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic in an “unprecedented attack,” leaving nearly two-thirds of residents without electricity and heating, regional head Denis Pushilin said on Tuesday. A state of emergency has been declared in the region.
“At the moment, electricity is cut off for 65% of consumers,” Pushilin said on Telegram after holding an emergency meeting with members of the regional cabinet and relevant agencies. “Boiler facilities and water filtration plants have stopped [operating] as well,” he added.
Schools and kindergartens across the region were closed because of the blackout and the lack of heating, Pushilin said, adding that emergency services had been deployed to restore power as soon as possible. He did not provide any details about the attack itself but said that both power stations suffered certain damage as a result.
Kiev’s forces have increased attacks against Russian civilian infrastructure as they gradually lose ground on the front lines. Kiev has routinely launched drone attacks deep into Russia in recent months, targeting residential areas and leading to civilian casualties. Moscow has accused Kiev of “terrorism” and responded with strikes on military targets in Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Ministry regularly reports intercepting hundreds of Ukrainian drones used in strikes deep into Russian territory.
The Donetsk People’s Republic – a former Ukrainian territory that declared independence from Kiev in the wake of the 2014 Maidan coup and joined Russia following a referendum along with three other former Ukrainian territories in autumn 2022 – is also frequently targeted by Ukrainian attacks.
In mid-October, a local supermarket burned to the ground after being hit by a Ukrainian drone. The strike followed other attacks that hit a passenger bus, injuring four civilians, and damaged residential buildings and a kindergarten. Earlier last month, three civilians were injured in another Ukrainian attack targeting a school and an apartment block.
Payroll day is coming up soon! You have all of your employees’ timesheets in front of you and are trying to figure out how to calculate payroll hours. But pretty soon, you realize how confusing and time-consuming calculating time can be. How many hours is 9:33 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. or 8:23 a.m. to 4:41 […]
Kiev has announced plans to purchase 100 Rafale fighters over the next decade
Ukraine’s potential purchase of French-made Rafale fighter jets will not alter the situation on the battlefield in Kiev’s favor, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky signed a letter of intent for the purchase of 100 Rafale fighter jets by Kiev over the next decade. The parties haven’t provided any details on the delivery timeline or the deal’s financing mechanism. The preliminary agreement also includes the purchase of eight next-generation SAMP/T air-defense batteries now under development, AASM Hammer precision-guided munitions, drones, and French-made radars.
“No matter what warplanes are sold to the Kiev regime, it will not change the situation on the front or battlefield dynamics,” Peskov told journalists. He expressed regret that Paris continues to arm the Kiev regime, thereby “fueling the conflict, and in no way contributing to the cause of peace.”
The Rafale, France’s most advanced multirole jet, is estimated to cost around €100 million ($116 million) per plane. Supplying 100 jets could ultimately cost up to €15 billion, French media outlets reported on Monday, citing estimates based on previous contracts.
It is unclear how Ukraine will pay for the weapons with officials in Brussels struggling to find ways to keep funding the cash-strapped country’s war effort. Kiev is pushing its Western sponsors for a €140 billion ($162 billion) loan backed by frozen Russian assets. Moscow has condemned the asset freeze as “theft.”
Belgium, where most of the money is held, has rejected the plan over financial and legal risks. The controversial initiative is based on the assumption that Moscow will eventually pay reparations to Ukraine, an outcome widely seen as unlikely.
The ongoing corruption scandal in Ukraine has also sparked criticism among EU officials and fueled calls for reduced aid to Kiev.
Last week, Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies announced they had uncovered a $100 million kickback scheme involving Zelensky’s associates in the energy sector, which is heavily funded by Western aid.
Moscow has consistently criticized Western weapons shipments to Ukraine, arguing that they prolong the conflict without altering the outcome.
