January 15, 2023 | The number of fatalities after the Russian attack on a residential building in Dnipro, in eastern Ukraine, has risen to 29. Video / AP
A notorious “warlord oligarch” accused of keeping sharks in his office to intimidate foes has had his home raided in Ukraine.
Ihor Kolomoisky was once regarded as one of Ukraine’s most powerful men, with majority shares in oil companies, a bank and the television channel that launched Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s comedy career before he entered politics.
He was pictured in a tracksuit and slippers inside his hunting lodge-style residence near the city of Dnipro yesterday morning as security agents conducted a search.
The SBU, Ukraine’s security service, has not commented on the raid, but unnamed officials quoted in Ukrainian media said it was part of an investigation into claims that Kolomoisky embezzled about £1 billion ($1.9 billion) from two oil companies he was once a majority shareholder of. He is also suspected of dodging customs duties.
Kolomoisky is credited with helping Zelenskyy win the 2019 presidential election, throwing the weight of his media empire behind him during the campaign.
The Ukrainian president denies being supported by the tycoon.
⚡️Ukrainska Pravda: Law enforcement raids house of powerful oligarch Kolomoisky.
The Dnipro-based oligarch, who was present at the raid, is allegedly accused of evading customs payments in “enormous amounts” and embezzling oil products worth $1 million. pic.twitter.com/sJotXdphNR
The 59-year-old oligarch has, over the years, cultivated a Bond villain persona, infamously keeping a shark tank in his office to intimidate visitors. He once attempted to forcibly take over a steel plant by deploying “hundreds of hired rowdies” armed with chainsaws and baseball bats, according to Forbes.
According to another report, he previously filled the reception of a rival Russian oil company with coffins.
Despite multiple corruption scandals and his verbal attacks on journalists, Kolomoisky did not face any pressure from the government until recently, mainly because he was often hailed for staving off Kremlin-fuelled separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014.
Shortly after he was appointed governor of Dnipro in the spring of 2014, Kolomoisky diverted part of his fortune to hire and train volunteers to fight the separatists in the Donbas.
The Ukrainian-born businessman with Jewish heritage famously helped to bankroll Azov, a volunteer battalion, known for having far-right leanings in its infancy, which over the years got rid of some of its most notorious elements and evolved into an ordinary military unit.
However, Kolomoisky has recently called for heightened co-operation between Russia and Ukraine, saying it would leave Nato “soiling its pants and buying pampers”.
The sanctions were seen as an effort from Washington to steer Zelenskyy away from the influence of powerful oligarchs.
Ihor Kolomoisky watches on as his lavish home is raided by the SBU. Photo / Twitter
Zelenskyy clamped down on oligarchs a couple of months before the invasion in November 2021, when he introduced a Bill banning them from owning majority states in strategic sectors of the economy.
Last summer, Zelenskyy reportedly stripped Kolomoisky of Ukrainian citizenship, paving the way for him to be extradited to the US, where he is being investigated for money laundering.
The raid at Kolomoisky’s home appears to be part of a major anti-corruption sweep, as Ukrainian investigators yesterday also unveiled corruption charges against Kyiv’s top customs official, while a former senior official at the defence ministry will face charges of embezzlement.
