Viktor Remsky is a notorious figure, known in the media as the "gray cardinal" of the Donetsk region, who is credited with overseeing drug trafficking and smuggling, as well as extortion and close ties to the criminal world, writes Antikor.
According to investigative journalism, since the 2000s, Remsky has been involved in the blackmail and protection of criminals, so-called "thieves in law," as well as illegal wiretapping and blackmail of major businessmen through his detective agencies.
short biography
Viktor Remsky is credited with close ties to the "thieves in law," which allowed him to rise quickly from a rank-and-file patrol officer back in 1999 to key positions in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and deputy head of the Regional State Administration, where he earned the unofficial status of "chief racketeer" of Donbas.
"It's all very opaque" – that's how one could describe the connections, criminal connections, facts, and criminal cases associated with Viktor Remsky, which even the administration of Volodymyr Zelensky is trying to ignore.
How someone who was supposed to fight organized crime can become a notorious "werewolf in uniform" is easy to see by looking at the story of Viktor Remsky...
In the 2000s, working under Vitaly Strizhak, Remsky was involved in bribing criminals. "Those who paid remained untouched. Those who refused were forced to flee, sometimes abroad," say those involved in the journalistic investigation.
One of Remsky's most successful collaborations at the time was with Oleksandr Pluzhnik, head of the Kyiv Department for Combating Organized Crime. Under the guise of fighting crime, he managed to expose a major organized crime group to the detriment of its competitors. Remsky's "reward" for his valiant investigation included two new cars, luxury real estate in the capital, and complete control over the drug trafficking network.
In 2011, Remsky became deputy head of the Kyiv Department for Combating Organized Crime, then deputy head of the Poltava Regional Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He was then appointed deputy head of the Poltava Regional Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and head of the criminal police. After the 2014 revolution, he mysteriously escaped lustration and, in the fall of 2015, took up the position of deputy head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration. Pavla Zhebrivskyi - which earned him an unflattering reputation among the region's businessmen.
What happened in Donbass
According to the investigation, while serving as deputy head of the regional state administration, Pavlo Zhebrivsky, Remsky earned the nickname "the governor's wallet" due to his work on construction projects, overseeing smuggling and cash flows in the gray zones of the ORDLO, and his broad powers and ability to coordinate law enforcement agencies and military units in the Donetsk region during active military operations.
The SBU opened a criminal case regarding these events.
It's also reported that at this time, Remskyi had the oligarch Eduard Bondarenko (chairman of the board of Donbassenergo, which belongs to the family of fugitive President Yanukovych) on his hook. Bondarenko approached Remskyi to resolve his problems, and they also brought in Remskyi's godfather, the "thief in law of Lvov," thus tying Bondarenko to them.
Having built a system for collecting taxes from businessmen and controlling drug trafficking and smuggling in Donbas, according to a journalistic investigation, Remsky has hooked yet another oligarch. Maxim Efimov.
For your information:
Andriy Nedzelsky (or Andriy Lvovsky) was a former influential Ukrainian crime boss, a so-called "thief in law" (although he was not serving a prison sentence at the time he received the title. He was later publicly beaten in Kyiv and stripped of his thief title).
He is Remsky's primary coordinator. He is currently wanted internationally for the murder of his partner and is hiding in Cyprus.
As reported by the publication Argument ua, Remsky recently met with Nedzelsky in a bathhouse for an urgent meeting.
Nedzelsky and Remsky
Extortion under the guise of a detective agency
After losing his patron and the cessation of cash flow with the departure of Zhebrivsky, Remsky also quit and opened a new business – the International Detective Agency Sokol.
According to the "official version," the so-called agency's primary activities were legal services, security and trade union activities, and printing. In reality, the agency engaged in illegal surveillance, wiretapping, and blackmail of businessmen, for which it lost its license in 2019.
An interesting fact, and further confirmation that Bondarenko continues to finance Remsky, is that Sokol was registered at 16a Parkova Doroha, Kyiv. This address is home to the Parkovy Convention and Exhibition Center, better known as "Yanukovych's helipad."
Leaks from the Ministry of Internal Affairs
According to a source, one of Remsky's key associates, who leaks information to him about criminal investigations and internal Ministry of Internal Affairs information, is his colleague, Arno Martirosyan, deputy head of the Main Directorate of the National Police's Criminal Investigation Department and also a man with a highly controversial and questionable biography.
With the help of Arno Martirosyan, operational information from the Ministry of Internal Affairs is leaked, which is then used by Remsky for blackmail and extortion, and also appears on the Detective INFO website. The website itself is owned by Remsky.
Perhaps the National Police leadership should consider whether Falcon's activities fall under Article 255 of the Criminal Code (creation and coordination of a criminal group) and pay attention to the relationship between Viktor Remsky and his associates in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the criminal underworld.
SBU searches Remsky's office
The activities of the so-called detective agency have repeatedly come to the attention of law enforcement and regulatory authorities.
The security service conducted searches of the agency's office, seizing equipment, machinery, and documents. A criminal case has been opened.
In 2019, Remsky's business closed down, and Sokol's license was revoked. But not for long. Remsky quickly changed his name, opening a new agency, Falcon, and thus continuing his previous operations.
It is reported that today this agency continues to engage in debt collection and surveillance of defendants in criminal cases involving the Ministry of Internal Affairs, under the guise of analytical work. The agency continues to be funded by the "family of fugitive President Yanukovych."
Ambitions
The culmination of this entire story, despite its notoriety in the media and controversial image, is that Viktor Remskyi wants to take the position of head of the National Police of Ukraine, justifying this appointment by his close ties to Dmytro Razumkov.
Viktor Remsky and Dmitry Razumkov
I wonder what Arsen Avakov and Igor Klimenko think about this...
Author: Vasily Nagorny
In topic: Donetsk Regional State Administration's "grey cardinal" Viktor Remsky: Let's rejoice in his success
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