Tag: USAID

From Saakashvili's Customs to Fedorov's Advisor: Giorgi Tskhakaia's Career Zigzag and the Billion-Dollar Arms Market

Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, official

Defense Minister Fedorov's "Imported" Advisors. So, Giorgi Tskhakaia. A certain "advisor" named Giorgi Tskhakaia has been hanging around Fedorov for a long time. He hails from Saakashvili's team: at various times, he held the positions of Deputy Minister of Economy, Head of the Tax and Customs Service, and Deputy Mayor of Tbilisi. After the change...

A London bell for Zelenskyy. What does the signing of the memorandum between the UK and the Central Election Commission of Ukraine mean?

elections, district, by-election, mandate, candidates

Yesterday, the British tabloid Daily Express reported that Ukraine's Central Election Commission (headed by Oleh Didenko) and the UK's electoral oversight body signed a memorandum on holding elections in Ukraine after the war, Strana reports. Specifically, London could assist with organizing voting abroad, regulating the financing of election campaigns…

The front is fictitious, the money is real: the Shabunin case as a symptom of the deep crisis of the "anti-Karapshin"

Society has a knack for forgetting high-profile scandals and allowing old "heroes" to return to the public eye again and again. This, in particular, has allowed many grant-eating activists to claim the status of anti-corruption fighters, despite their numerous scandals involving violations of the law and the lack of real...

The Presidential Office is preparing a replacement for the head of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission. What's wrong with Yermak's advisor?

It appears Ruslan Magomedov will not serve his six-year term as head of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission. Why and who is unhappy with him? Until February 2019, only those directly involved in the financial sector and those with a serious interest in Ukraine knew about the existence, much less what the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC) did.

What was Portnov doing on Bankova?

Andrey Portnov, Sidor Kizin, dossier, biography, compromising evidence

Political life in Ukraine is dead. Several days have passed since reports surfaced that the late Andriy Portnov was in Kyiv before his death and met with some "security officials." And not a single parliamentary inquiry has been issued. Not even from Petro Poroshenko, Portnov's longtime enemy. Not from anyone at all. Is Zelensky really so terrifying to everyone?

A people's deputy receives millions from the budget for monitoring a telethon and media: he bought a house in an elite town and became the subject of a criminal case.

Servant of the People Party

"Servant of the People" Oleksandr Marikovskyi earns millions of hryvnias from telethon viewing and media monitoring. State-owned enterprises annually increase their spending on services provided by the parliamentarian's company. This is supposedly intended to help them respond promptly to criticism and maintain their reputation. Meanwhile, the MP's own reputation is questionable. Last year...

High Council of Justice: Election of the Chairman 2.0

In January 2025, the High Council of Justice (HCJ), the main constitutional body of judicial governance responsible for appointing and dismissing judges, disciplining them, and, most importantly, ensuring the independence of the judiciary, was left without a leader, writes Karina Asparyan, an expert on judicial reform at the Legislative Initiatives Laboratory, on the website ZN.UA. The HCJ Chairperson…

Shabunin, NABU, and the High Anti-Corruption Court (VAKS) have appropriated tens of millions of dollars in a year by controlling each other, according to an expert.

"Anti-corruption activists" Shabunin and Nikolov received $1,5 million in just one year, but are asking Ukrainians for financial assistance. Shabunin also continues to receive his military salary, despite never having served. This misuse of millions of dollars in US aid and budget funds under the pretext...

USAID, Russian Gambling, and Reputational Losses: Who Is Maryan Zablotsky?

State budget revenues from gambling were 80% lower than planned.

Zablotsky's controversial statement about USAID has stirred up public controversy: what is this MP known for, and whose interests might he represent? Marian Zablotsky found himself at the center of a controversy due to his controversial statements about USAID's activities in Ukraine. His statements sparked a wave of criticism from journalists, public activists, and opinion leaders, including Yanina...

USAID funds flow into Portnov's accounts

Andrey Portnov, Sidor Kizin, dossier, biography, compromising evidence

In compliance with the court's decision, the State Enforcement Service forcibly collected over 85 hryvnias from the NGO "Hromadske Telebachennya" and transferred it to lawyer Andriy Portnov. Portnov's lawyer, Karina Nikityan, told ZiB. She recalled that last December, the Kyiv Court of Appeal...

Ukraine's Digital Cardinal

In the Ivano-Frankivsk region, a fraudster defrauded people through fake online stores.

Let's disregard any illusions about this homegrown "digital cardinal." He's quite a character. Look. Let's start with the Fedorov Ministry itself. The community once laughed at the funny jokes about the "IT Ministry." Most of the jokers now bow to the ministry's IT officials. I'm still convinced the ministry's existence is unnatural...

Foreign Voyagers of the Constitutional Court, or Who's at War, Who's at...

Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine has revealed unprecedented levels of self-organization and self-sufficiency in citizens to defend their homeland. But at the same time, the war has also demonstrated examples of the unprincipled, gluttonous self-enrichment of officials of all stripes. The grasping reflexes of the highest courtiers—representatives of the judiciary—are particularly cynical.