Tag: Yanukovych

Ukraine orders confiscation of $1.5 bn in Yanukovych regime assets

KIEV, Ukraine (AFP) — Ukraine on Friday launched a process to return some $1.5 billion in assets allegedly stolen from the budget by the deposed Russian-backed leader Viktor Yanukovych and his team. The National Security and Defense Council said the state savings bank had begun confiscating the old regime’s holdings in line with an earlier court ruling. Council chief Oleksandr Turchynov said the $1.5 billion (1.4 billion euros) would be returned to the state budget. Ukrainian […]

Ukraine gas magnate arrested in Austria

VIENNA, Austria (AFP) — Austria arrested one of Ukraine’s richest men on Tuesday, a fresh twist for the one-time ally of ousted pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych. Gas magnate Dmytro Firtash was taken into custody over alleged links to organized crime in Spain, moments after a Vienna court ruled he could be extradited to the United States on corruption charges. Firtash, 51, made money through connections with Russian gas giant Gazprom, and was at one time linked […]

Biden vows US support for Kyiv

US Vice President Joe Biden has told leaders in Kyiv that they must “fight the cancer of corruption” in their government. He said Washington stands with them and is ready to provide economic support. During the first full day of his diplomatic visit to Ukraine on Tuesday, Vice President Biden told political leaders in Kyiv that they face a historic opportunity to build a united Ukraine. Speaking to a group of several Ukrainians, including three […]