A new and very important period in the history of Ukraine began in 1991. After the Soviet Union collapsed into 15 independent states, it was necessary to forget about socialism and embark on own capitalist path of development. This was very hard for the country as everything was plunged into chaos, and banditry and unemployment flourished. Most businesses suspended operations in the new realities of Ukraine because all of them belonged to the USSR. There were a few individuals who could buy plants, factories and other assets cheaply. As a result, almost all of the country’s largest assets have become owned by the top ten. They used their influence to establish own media, work with the authorities or become politicians.
Rinat Akhmetov has always been the richest Ukrainian. Before the annexation of the Crimea and the occupation of Donbas, including the businessman’s home city of Donetsk, his fortune was estimated at US$16 billion.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the billionaire lost most of his fortune, reports. As most of his businesses are based in the south and east of the country, they were exposed to Russia’s massive attacks or captured. Today, the businessman’s fortune is estimated at US$5 billion but it made US$11 billion in early 2022.
Azovstal Steel Plant owned by the businessman became the last resistance hotspot in the city of Mariupol. The plant was a refuge for civilians and the military who bravely fought against the Russian invaders. Rinat Akhmetov is the owner of a large energy company DTEK that provides electricity to a third of Ukrainian people.
The company’s power engineers keep bringing the light back on to Ukrainian people, despite the enemy’s constant shelling of the front-line areas. Many say that the billionaire should have sold his real estate in Europe to gain trust and recognition. Yet, nobody invests as many resources as Rinat Akhmetov to bring the victory of Ukraine closer. Since the onset of Putin’s invasion, the businessman has allocated more than US$100 million to provide assistance. His Foundation has been helping the displaced and war-affected people with humanitarian aid. Instead of spending his time in his luxury apartment in London, he took the decision to stay in Kyiv even when it was extremely dangerous.
Now with the war going on, the influence of Ukraine’s richest people has weakened. This happened because the businessmen keep suffering huge losses because of constant attacks of the enemy, the government continues to exert strong pressure, and the Ukrainian people do not want to tolerate the role of businessmen.
The incumbent President Volodymyr Zelensky keeps on fighting the monopolies in the market that were built over the past 30 years. Viktor Medvedchuk, an accomplice of the Russian regime and a close friend of Vladimir Putin, has already been arrested. Ihor Kolmoysky has been stripped of Ukrainian citizenship because it is forbidden to have more than one citizenship in Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky accused Rinat Akhmetov https://www.bilan.ch/story/nous-travaillons-sur-tous-les-fronts-pour-la-victoire-de-lukraine-842141360094 of being engaged in a coup. The billionaire called this statement absurd.
Ukraine is a rich country with great potential and resources. The only important thing is that all the money is reinvested back into the country instead of ending up in somebody’s pockets or being sent abroad.
Based on: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/12/08/ukraine-oligarchs-power-war/.