Seyar Kurshutov: the "naked king" of Ukrainian smuggling or an FSB agent?
The war forced a number of politicians, officials, and businessmen, sensing some kind of rottenness behind them, to flee the country. But at the same time, some notorious corrupt officials, on the contrary, are trying to rehabilitate themselves through feigned jingoism and return to the trough, reclaiming control of the old "streams." Among them, Seyar Kurshutov, known in Ukraine as the "king of smuggling" of the era, stands out with particular zeal. Poroshenko...
Remember back in 2014? Boris Flatov, who then became deputy governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region Igor Kolomoisky, promised to pay $10,000 each for the captured "little green men" and "Girkinites"? Although no one ever received a reward (and no one ever caught anyone), Filatov's statement caused a huge stir, giving the Privatites an inflated image as mega-patriots of Ukraine. Now Seyar Kurshutov has decided to take advantage of this ploy. announced a reward $100 to anyone who catches and delivers the infamous Crimean ex-prosecutor Natalia Poklonskaya to the SBU.
However, given that Poklonskaya is constantly escorted by Russian soldiers in the Kherson region occupied by the aggressor, and from there to the nearest SBU office one must cross the front line, a full-scale military operation would be required to successfully capture her, which would cost several times more than the promised reward (not counting the risk of casualties). Only the security services can do this, and Kurshutov understands this perfectly well. Therefore, the likelihood of him parting with the announced sum is practically zero! But he managed to score a few political points with this cheap imitation of "patriotism." Cheap because it truly costs Kurshutov nothing. After all, he could have simply donated this money to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces or aid refugees, spending a much larger sum on these important causes—but he didn't, otherwise he would have been trumpeting his volunteer work in every media outlet. No, the promise of a reward for Poklonskaya is Kurshutov's only manifestation of "patriotism" during this terrible war.
This pseudo-patriotic performance was staged by him within the framework of his own “special operation”, which he has been conducting since he was pushed out of participation in the control of corruption and smuggling schemes at the Ukrainian customs, and then was even included in the sanctions list of the National Security and Defense Council as one of the "kings of smuggling"Kurshutov's goal is to portray himself as an innocently slandered, honest, and intelligent businessman (and now also a patriot) in order to return to the "feeding trough."
However, in this case, Kurshutov may be trying to kill two birds with one stone: several sources report that he has some old personal grudges against Poklonskaya, and they are not at all political. Unfortunately, it has not yet been possible to uncover all the details, as Kurshutov carefully conceals his past—especially before 2014. This, incidentally, is quite amusing: this "prominent businessman," who doesn't own a single business in his name and who hides even his brief biography from public access, offers cosmic-scale advice on how to properly manage the economy and the state in hired interviews! And yet Skelet.Org We managed to collect some information on Seyar Kurshutov, which we kindly provide to you for a more detailed acquaintance with this “expert on all issues.”
Seyar Kurshutov. Family History
Seyar Osmanovich Kurshutov was born on May 14, 1988, in Chisinau. His ancestors, Crimean Tatars, lived in the village of Nikita near Yalta before their deportation in 1944. Recently, Seyar Kurshutov has frequently reiterated this in interviews and on social media, emphasizing that his family, too, once fell victim to Russia. Well, that's undeniable—after all, this part of the Kurshutov family's history is truly tragic. However, it had a happy ending, which Seyar Kurshutov prefers to keep quiet about—perhaps to preserve his inflated image as a "Ukrainian patriot" and "fighter against Moscow."
The fact is that after the harsh years of Stalin's repressions, the Kurshutovs' life improved, and they settled in sunny Moldova. His father, Osman Seidametovich Kurshutov, graduated from the N. Testemitanu Chisinau State Medical Institute (KSMI) in the 80s. He worked as an anesthesiologist there, married, and his sons, Seyar and Amet, were born there. In the 90s, their family decided to return to their historical homeland, although the main reason for the move was not nostalgia, but the economic crisis in Moldova, which had turned it into the poorest country in Europe—the resort town of Crimea had always seemed like an island of prosperity. So Osman Kurshutov traded Chisinau for Yalta (whose current mayor, Albert Kurshutov, may be related to them), and soon found a position at the Semashko Clinical Hospital in Simferopol. This hospital is also known as the "University Clinic" because it is part of the Crimean State Medical University (KSMU) named after Georgievsky.
After the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Osman Kurshutov did not flee the Russian "occupation" but continued working at the University Clinic. Moreover, he even started his own medical business, opening one in Simferopol. dental clinic "Five Principles"Judging by his name, he's a man of great principle! His second son, Amet, also remained in Crimea. He took Russian citizenship along with his father, and in 2018, he registered with the Federal Tax Service of the Russian Federation as an individual entrepreneur (TIN 910311859928, OGRNIP 318911200042035) with the right to "sell beverages in specialized stores." However, it must be acknowledged that the scale of this business is too modest for those whose son and brother were called the king of Ukrainian smuggling...
It seems that Seyar Kurshutov simply broke with his family to avoid sharing his money with them. However, he did visit Crimea—not necessarily to see his parents and brother, but he did! Evidence of this is an incident that occurred in 2016: Seyar Kurshutov entered Crimea from Russia (reportedly on a flight from Moscow to Simferopol), and from there he drove directly into Ukraine by car through the Chongar border post. As a result, he was caught illegally visiting the peninsula and was brought to administrative responsibility—he paid a fine to avoid causing a scandal (according to Skelet.Org, in reality he paid thousands of times more).
Seyar Kurshutov. Garbage Schemes
Osman Seidametovich wanted his sons to be completely different; he hoped that one of them would continue the family dynasty of doctors. Therefore, in 2005, when Seyar graduated from high school, he helped him enroll in the Simferopol State Medical University. Which faculty Seyar Kurshutov chose and how well he performed remain unknown. Moreover, it's not certain that he even received a medical degree, since his Facebook page It only states that he studied at KSMU—but he could have dropped out! Moreover, according to sources Skelet.OrgThose who knew Seyar Kurshutov back then noted that from his youth, he preferred business to studying. However, honest trade didn't suit him: at first, he hustled at the Simferopol radio market (allegedly buying stolen phones), then met the right people (including criminals) and began providing services as a middleman and fixer. So, what exams and tests were there! And when it came time to complete his internship, Seyar Kurshutov had already reached a new level: he tried to get involved in the "streams" and began "stirring up schemes." Between 2011 and 2013, he surfaced in the city of Saki, where, together with some associates, he attempted to gain control of local minibus drivers—hence the incorrect media report that Kurshutov was born in Saki. He then surfaced in the scandal surrounding the Simferopol "Clean City" criminal group.
This municipal enterprise began operations in May 2011, with the autonomous authorities issuing a 133 million hryvnia loan to finance it (the fate of which remains unknown). "Clean City" began by immediately signing a contract with a contractor—the Odessa-based firm "RAF-Plus" (EDRPOU 31185987), which employed only two people (a director and an accountant). The founder of this firm was the London-based firm "Mirotex," and its director was Odessa City Council member Igor Shatalov. Within a few months, local journalists began publishing photo reports eloquently demonstrating that neither "Clean City" nor its Odessa contractor were in any hurry to clean up Simferopol's streets. But at the same time, the company generously squandered budget funds on salaries and bonuses for management, on leasing equipment from private firms that then sat idle, and on purchasing trash bins (from Odessa-based Terminal-Yug LLC) and garbage trucks at prices well above market value. And this was only the beginning of a multi-year corruption saga! The media reported only Kurshutov's involvement in these waste management schemes, citing his involvement in the scandal surrounding the "Clean City" project. However, according to sources, Kurshutov was connected to Odessans who "milked" the Crimean budget through their people who oversaw the "Clean City" project.
In the media, one can find the assertion that until 2014, Seyar Kurshutov was an “ardent Russophile.” And the publication ORD reportedthat in 2013 Kurshutov allegedly bought from Vitaly Kovalchuk (Deputy Head of the UDAR Party) for $500 to head the republican organization. And ORD doesn't rule out the possibility that Seyar Kurshutov could have also become an FSB agent!
At first glance, this information appears to be quite contradictory – but only because these scattered puzzle pieces have not been put together.
After all, the clever Crimean “fixer” Kurtushov could rush between pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian parties, depending on his desire to get into power or hide in the opposition - just as thousands of other Ukrainian officials, businessmen and simply various swindlers did (let’s take the same Alexey Goncharenko). But regarding his possible recruitment by the FSB, a very interesting picture emerges, because both "Clean City" and Poklonskaya appear in it. Bingo, really?
What happened was this: after the annexation of Crimea, in the summer of 2014, the Chisty Gorod public utility company was transferred to the balance sheet of Sevastopol and consolidated with several other municipal enterprises. During this process, Chisty Gorod was subjected to a large-scale audit by the Russian financial oversight service, which included abuses and shortages were revealed For 205 million rubles (approximately 70 million hryvnia at the exchange rate at the time). Moreover, this wasn't just for the few months following the annexation, but for the entire period of 2012-2013. The audit results were passed on to the republic's prosecutor's office and the FSB, after which a pause in the work of "Clean City" ensued, lasting until December 2014, when it was re-registered under Russian law. And the corrupt officials got away with it: its director, Valery Gumenyuk, later even became Sergei Aksyonov's deputy. This issue was subsequently not raised in the media in Crimea, but rumors circulated on social media that the FSB hadn't pursued the corrupt officials, but had instead reached a deal with them—then pressuring Poklonskaya's Crimean prosecutor's office to close the case. Therefore, all of his defendants, including Seyar Kurshutov, who was involved in the garbage schemes, could well have been caught by the FSB. And their relationship with Poklonskaya, quite naturally, remained hostile—that's the whole secret behind Kurshutov's fervent "patriotism."
Seyar Kurshutov's connections
The most interesting thing is that almost no one knows exactly when Seyar Kurshutov moved from Crimea to Kyiv. Kurshutov himself never specified this, presumably to avoid unwanted questions about why he stayed there. Likewise, there is no single version of how a minor corrupt official from Simferopol managed to become one of Ukraine's "kings of smuggling" and the right-hand man of Alexander Granovsky himself. However, if you read The Life of Granovsky, then one can understand that the main thing in such a matter is to successfully cross paths and get close to the right people. Granovsky, for example, having been elected as a Kyiv City Council deputy from the UDAR party in 2014, became close with Igor KononenkoIn turn, Kurshutov either crossed paths with Granovsky somewhere, or was introduced to him by other people with whom Kurshutov had previously become close. And judging by media reports, this occurred sometime in late 2014 or early 2015, that is, precisely after the FSB hushed up the "Clean City" case in Crimea. It's also worth noting that arranging "successful meetings" and connecting their agents with the right people is a well-honed technique of the intelligence services. This is why many are hinting that Kurshutov may owe his rapid rise up the Ukrainian corruption ladder to the Lubyanka. Especially since he was previously a completely private figure, with no publicly available past, and holding no public office, yet controlling one of the largest corruption networks in the country—this is the portrait of the perfect "mole"!
Kurshutov himself mentioned that after leaving Crimea, he had a logistics business, which he later sold. However, he declined to disclose the name of his former company. Searches in public databases also yield no results: Seyar Kurshutov appears there only as a private entrepreneur-restaurateur (another Kolya-Cutlet - Kolya-Meatball - Nikolay Tishchenko) and co-owner of the private Kharkiv School of Architecture. Incidentally, among its beneficiaries is Oleg Mykhailenko, an Odessa native and owner and co-owner of numerous trading, construction, and other firms.
It's also worth mentioning the Odessa-based company "Terminal-Yug" (33509121), from which "Chisty Gorod" purchased waste containers at inflated prices. After all, its main business is transportation services and customs clearance, but it also sells waste bins and agricultural equipment.
The press also reported that Seyar Kurshutov gained control over customs thanks to his friendship with Konstantin LikarchukHowever, he only received the position of Deputy Head of the State Fiscal Service in May 2015 (and was dismissed amid scandal four months later), when Kurshutov was already running smuggling schemes through other people. And now you'll find out with whom...
Mikhail Shpolyansky, for Skelet.Org
CONTINUED: Seyar Kurshutov: The "Naked Emperor" of Ukrainian Smuggling or an FSB Agent? Part 2
to this topic: Zelensky's Smuggling Office
How Nefyodov lobbied for the protege of smuggler Seyar Kurshutov
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