Arsen Avakov
REFERENCE ON IT: Arsen Avakov: The criminal past of the Minister of Internal Affairs
Born in Baku to a military family, he has lived in Ukraine since 1966. In 1988, he graduated from Kharkiv Polytechnic University with a degree in automated control systems (qualifying as a systems engineer). While studying at the institute, in the summer of 1985, Avakov worked as a foreman (squad leader) in Construction Department No. 18 of the Novourengoygazstroy Trust in the Tyumen Region. In the summer of 1986, he was the commander of the BMP-522 student construction brigade of the Tyumen Road Construction Ministry of the Urengoytransstroy Trust, reports Politrada.
From 1987 to 1990, he was an engineer at the Kharkiv Research Institute of Water Protection. He worked in research, particularly in mathematical modeling. In 1990, he founded one of the first joint-stock companies in Ukraine, Investor JSC, where he served as president. In 1992, he founded and headed Basis Commercial Bank. In 2002, he was elected to the executive committee of the Kharkiv City Council.
Family
The politician is married and has a son.
Political ambitions
On February 4, 2005, by decree of the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko, whom he actively supported in the 2004 elections, he was appointed to the post of Chairman of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration.
On the same day, as stated in his official biography, he resigned as chairman of the supervisory boards of his controlled businesses—OJSC Bank Basis and JSC Investor. On February 5, 2010, on the eve of the presidential election runoff, he was dismissed as head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration. Avakov, who had expressed support for Yulia Tymoshenko, who had advanced to the second round, considered this dismissal illegal. He considered the president's decision to dismiss the governors of the two largest regions—Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv—on the eve of the presidential election runoff to be no coincidence.
According to Avakov, these decrees were aimed at destabilizing the situation in the regions, with the aim of ensuring Tymoshenko's rival, Viktor Yanukovych, would receive election results similar to those of 2005, particularly in the Kharkiv region. One of the former governor's deputies in Kharkiv was the head of state's nephew, Yaroslav Yushchenko, the son of the president's elder brother, Petro Yushchenko. Avakov was a member of the pro-Yushchenko party, Our Ukraine, and its presidium.
Since 2006, he has been a member of the Kharkiv Regional Council representing Our Ukraine and a member of the Budget Committee. Since autumn 2010, he has been a member of the regional council representing the All-Ukrainian Union Batkivshchyna party (led by Tymoshenko). He heads the Kharkiv Regional Organization of Batkivshchyna. Since December 2012, he has been a People's Deputy of Ukraine of the 7th convocation representing the Batkivshchyna party (No. 24 on the list). He is a member of the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Parliamentary Ethics, and Support of the Activities of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
On February 27, 2014, he was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in the Arseniy Yatsenyuk government. He replaced Vitaliy Zakharchenko as head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Reviews about the policy
Avakov's long-standing political opponents include representatives of the Party of Regions. His most implacable foes include members of the Party of Regions Mikhail Dobkin, Gennady Kernes, and Vasily Salygin, the former head of the Kharkiv Regional Council.
Politician rating
Honored Economist of Ukraine. Author of 12 scientific publications and one monograph.
Kompromat
Self compromising on politics
On January 26, 2012, the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office opened a criminal case against Arsen Avakov, former head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration and chairman of the Batkivshchyna party's regional branch. This was announced by Oleksandr Babikov, head of the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office. The criminal case was opened under Part 3 of Article 365 (abuse of power and authority, resulting in grave consequences). After reviewing the legality of land transactions in 2009, the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office discovered the illegal change of purpose and transfer of ownership of 55 hectares of state-owned land worth over 5.5 million hryvnias.
Compromising evidence against his political strength
In January 2012, according to a report on the Kharkiv Regional State Administration website, the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office conducted an investigation into a request from the Kharkiv Regional State Administration dated January 3, 2012, regarding the illegal actions of the former head of the regional state administration, Avakov, when signing and issuing state deeds of ownership of land plots to one of the limited liability companies.
Following an investigation, the regional prosecutor's office has opened a criminal case against officials of the regional state administration and the Main Directorate of the State Land Committee in Kharkiv Oblast for the illegal alienation of state-owned land in 2009 through abuse of office, resulting in grave consequences, and forgery under Part 2 of Article 364 and Part 2 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The pre-trial investigation of the criminal case has been assigned to the Department for the Investigation of Criminal Cases Related to Corruption of the Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office and is under the control of the regional prosecutor's office leadership.
According to the head of the Main Legal Department of the regional state administration, Konstantin Prokopyev, due to the illegal actions of officials of the regional state administration and the Main Department of the State Land Committee in the Kharkiv region in 2009, the intended purpose of state-owned agricultural lands with a total area of almost 55 hectares, worth over 5.5 million UAH, was illegally changed.
Opinion: Interior Minister Arsen Avakov should resign immediately. VIDEO
Material status
In 2011, Focus magazine estimated Arsen Avakov's net worth at $282.9 million (No. 65 in the ranking of the 200 richest people in Ukraine). In 2009, Focus magazine estimated Avakov's net worth at $57.5 million. According to the publication, he lost $327.5 million over the previous year. In 2007, according to his official declaration, Arsen Borysovych earned just over one million hryvnias. The combined income of his family members amounted to 175,897 hryvnias. Avakov owns a 12-acre plot of land, a garage, and three apartments—two in Kharkiv and one in Chuguev, Kharkiv Oblast. Arsen Avakov himself says he lives in a three-room apartment in a panel house on the outskirts of Kharkiv.
According to the Vecherniye Vedomosti newspaper, the Kharkiv governor owns a 12-room apartment in central Kharkiv on Myronositskaya Street. The total area of the apartment is 657,9 square meters. Avakov holds 132,026 hryvnias in his bank accounts and other financial institutions, while his family members hold 114,596 hryvnias.
Promises and Quotes
July 08 2014
Within two days, Slovyansk and Artemovsk will be cleaned up, removing unexploded mines, damaged equipment, and other debris. Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov announced this on his Facebook page.
"Slavyansk-Artemovsk is still unsafe. There are unexploded mines here and there, damaged equipment, downed high-voltage wires, and craters. In the next two days, all this will be a thing of the past—we'll be putting everything in order," he said.
As a reminder, it was previously reported that militants in Artemovsk, Donetsk Oblast, were plotting an assassination attempt on Interior Minister Arsen Avakov and National Guard Chief Stepan Poltorak. (read more about it Stepan Poltorak: The new Kuchma needs a new Kuzmuk).
On the night of July 5, militants fled Sloviansk. Some headed for Horlivka, others for Donetsk. By Saturday morning, Ukrainian troops had retaken Sloviansk. The Ukrainian flag was raised over the city hall.
Furthermore, the Ukrainian flag was raised over the Kramatorsk mayor's office. In Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, infrastructure is being restored, and food, drinking water, and other humanitarian aid supplies have been established for local residents.
On July 6, Ukrainian flags were raised over Artemivsk, Druzhkovka, and Konstantinovka.
July 07 2014
Interior Minister Arsen Avakov promises that television service will be restored in Slovyansk and Kramatorsk this week. He made this announcement while speaking with local residents in Slovyansk.
“The tower won’t be restored quickly, but there will be a signal (television – ed.) within a week,” he promised.
"Power and water will be back on the day after tomorrow," he said. He added that police had entered Slavyansk, and "reinforced police units will be deployed in the city, and the military will be out."
July 01 2014
One of the main objectives of the new phase of the anti-terrorist operation is the complete closure of the Ukrainian border with Russia.
Interior Minister Arsen Avakov made this statement, according to Interfax-Ukraine. "One of the key objectives of this phase of the ATO is a complete, total closure of the border. Not a closure by fire, but a complete closure," Avakov told reporters in Izyum on Tuesday. He noted that Russian tanks were able to enter Ukrainian territory precisely because the border was not closed.
"According to our estimates, there are more than 10 vehicles in Slovyansk, including vehicles removed from their pedestals and repaired at one of the factories, as well as vehicles that crossed the border with the Russian Federation through Izvarino and Krasnopartizansk. That's why one of our key tasks is to completely seal the borders," Avakov said. Censor.NET previously reported that security forces had restored control at the Dolzhansky border crossing.
All the promises
August 26 2014
Well, as a famous character from a Soviet cartoon said, "I can't hold on any longer." I came to the Prime Minister with those words yesterday. The battle between common sense and bureaucrats has been going on for 72 hours now, and for a very specific reason. The distribution of equipment and weapons (including heavy weapons) for National Guard units and special battalions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, formed from volunteers. "Donbass," "Dnipro-1," "Azov," "Shakhtarsk," "Kyiv-1," "Kyiv-2"... these are all our battalions. There are more than thirty of them—brave guys. Already battle-hardened—worthy of full-fledged armament!
"I'm giving you 72 hours to complete all formalities and procedures—to release weapons from warehouses to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Guard. What don't you understand? What other order do I need to give? The Prime Minister is giving you a direct order: 'Get them processed!'" Arseniy Yatsenyuk addressed this irritated retort to officials from the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Defense three days ago.
"But there are procedures, approvals... at least a couple of weeks, unless questions arise. And they most likely will..." the clerks rustled papers.
And yet we tried—a letter—the Prime Minister's command, the Defense Minister's acquiescence, the proactive efforts of the Interior Minister and the National Guard commander. Seventy-two hours passed. It didn't work. The bureaucratic machine continued to churn, showing regulatory documents that everything was being done legally and would continue to process them... but the weapons, the weapons were still where they had been for the last 20 years—in warehouses! Warehouses, not in the hands of the Azov fighters who stopped Russian tanks near Novoazovsk yesterday.
I've been patient, I've been tactful, I've tried to do it the "good way," but it's not working. It doesn't work that way!
Came to the premiere:
— I have no more strength to hold on.
— Couldn't get it?
-No
— And even grenade launchers?
"No. We don't need Putin; we'll defeat ourselves. Bureaucracy and old procedures are stronger than the prime minister and the minister."
- No, not stronger. *********** End of ceremony. War. I am summoning the government.
At 2:30 PM, the Cabinet of Ministers convened an emergency meeting. A resolution was adopted, "Regarding the Seizure and Transfer of Weapons, Combat Equipment, and Other Military Property." Among other things, it stipulated a direct procedure for obtaining weapons upon request from the Minister of Internal Affairs. The bureaucratic party in the Cabinet of Ministers was completely routed—Arseniy allowed no objections, no references to the National Security and Defense Council, and so on. Thank you to the ministers who supported him!
At 7:30 p.m., we were already preparing the shipment of tanks for the National Guard to the combat zone for the morning.
By 20:00, Anton Gerashchenko had completed the formalities for the transfer of ZU-23 cannons in Mariupol to the National Guard and Azov.
It seems to have worked.
We overcame ourselves, our own archaism. Ask why we delayed, and only now? As I've already said—let's get subtle—nothing personal—our guys have two RPGs against three tanks. Because we have more eccentrics and overcautious types in the long corridors of power than you can imagine... And not just in the power structures.
And no matter, we'll fight and break through! The main thing is to do what we must. What everyone should do!
Tomorrow, all attention will be focused on anti-tank weapons. We'll process the documents, pick them up from warehouses, and ship them. Within 48 hours.
So that no scum can doubt that crossing the Ukrainian border in a tank or armored personnel carrier will get a slap on the wrist!
Facebook. September 1, 2014
August 19 2014
Ilovaisk. The battle for liberation. Semyon Semenchenko, commander of the Donbas National Guard battalion, who has been on the front lines for two days, received shrapnel wounds. The advance group, clearing Ilovaisk of terrorists, encountered mortar fire. They held out and continued the attack. One of our soldiers was killed and four were wounded. Semyon was among them. He suffered multiple shrapnel wounds. Everyone was evacuated from the battlefield to the hospital. The wounded are preliminarily considered out of danger.
We are sending the guys a reserve for help. Keep your fists! Glory to the brave wars!
Facebook. September 1, 2014
August 17 2014
Here we go... another information flood, from the half-forgotten Right Sector—this time they've concocted an "ultimatum to the President." The smell of elections is in the air... And attention needs to shift... Maybe Yarosh should finally be held accountable for those 32 people who, due to the stupidity of his command, carelessly drove into a post near Donetsk and were killed and taken prisoner? Maybe it's enough to build a mythical legend on blood and grief?
Maybe he'll finally tell us where these mythical "frontline units" are, and what logic and plan they serve in the war? Maybe he'll at least tell us where these units are, which no one has really seen except in photos and videos? So that they can at least be seen occasionally, not by military staff officers, but by real combat commanders of real battalions? Maybe we should stop playing Robin Hood – stupidly framing real patriots who believe in you, Yarosh, to please your patriotic snobbery?!
PR is bigger than life, and posturing is even bigger... Yarosh, Yarosh—your problem is that with your brutal patriotic buffoonery, you're deceiving many people who've followed you into what are essentially illegal armed groups—without rules or foundations, without laws or order. Essentially, you're turning those who trusted you into mindless cannon fodder for disorganization. And no war can justify that... And it's none of your business. It's not your place to decide people's destinies like that. And no war can justify that. On the contrary, war only makes your position worse.
And a few words about "cop abuse" – a few days ago, a group of undocumented individuals claiming to be "Right Sector from the front" was detained at the entrance to Lviv. In the trunks of two cars were three grenade launchers, five automatic weapons, pistols, rifles, F1 grenades… a total of 24 types of weapons and ammunition. All undocumented and illegal… Let them import them?! Let them then fire a grenade launcher at Lviv Mayor Sadovyi, as they did a couple of weeks ago? Is this what the public and the country want? Is this the order Yarosh wants in the country? Then he really should attack the Minister of Internal Affairs. Because I don't accept that. ...In the most difficult moments of the country's life, over the last five months, a problem seems to be deliberately thrown up... so convenient for the Russian media, so frightening, and so filling the heads of people in the east of the country with Russian TV propaganda. From oblivion, from a "hideout," from the "patriotic underground," the Right Sector emerges—tossing out another statement or action—playing into Moscow's propaganda, frightening people in the east with its stupid actions. Willy-nilly, I have to ask: Who are you working for, Yarosh? Or are you simply insane? ... And don't tell me about Grushevsky and Instytutska—I was there, I was there all the time—and I know the truth about the real heroes.
P.S. – regarding the PS "demand" to fire First Deputy Minister Evdokimov. Is this another PR stunt? They learned that the document calling for Evdokimov's dismissal was sent to the Cabinet of Ministers for a decision and vote two weeks ago, and now they're starting a PR stunt? It's buffoonery, not a position, but a pose.
Facebook. August 17, 2014
Most closely associated with:
Yulia Tymoshenko, Igor Terekhov, Georgy Goguadze, Irina Efremova, Andrey Rudenko, Anatoly Slipchenko, Vladimir Nakonechny, Andrey Belogrishchenko, Andrey Ilgov, Alexander Kirsh, Igor Baluta, Ivan Varchenko, Anatoly Dmitriev, Igor Rainin, Yuri Kvyatkovsky, Liliya Avdeeva, Petr Prokopenko, Gennady Bronshpak, Dmitry Zagariya, Vitaly Sakal, Igor Kotvitsky, Konstantin Pozhidaev, Vladimir Smekh, Maxim Alekseenko, Nikolay Velichkovich, Vasily Turdai, Stepan Poltorak, Vladimir Evdokimov, Andrey Grechukh, Ivan Korsun, Zurab Alasania, Oleg Kurochkin, Gleb Melnichenko, Alexey Rudenko, Anatoly Trishchuk, Andrey Krishchenko, Andrey Netrebsky, Stanislav Rechinsky, Dmitry Fuchedzhi, Ivan Katerynchuk, Artur Gasparov, Yuri Rosinets, Sergey Boyko, Alexander Melkovsky, Vitaly Glukhovery, Igor Mrachko, Anton Gerashchenko, Sergey Starenkiy, Alexander Avakov, Alexander Korystin, Sergey Lukyanenko, Vitaly Kolupai, Alexander Tereshchuk, Igor Kovalenko, Victor Migalatyuk, Semyon Semenchenko, Tigran Avakyan
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