07.11.2024 Investigations Money laundering

How the Ministry of Veterans neglects the memory of heroes, making money on the grief of Ukrainians

The Ministry of Veterans Affairs under Kalmykova’s leadership is once again openly demonstrating its indifference to the memory of fallen soldiers. First, they choose a swampy area for burials, where the coffins will be buried in mud. And then, through a newly created consortium, they embezzle almost UAH 2 billion.

In response to the veterans’ protests, the Ministry of Veterans called the police to silence them and demonstrate that no one is going to solve the problem, and the embezzlement will continue.

As a reminder, the winner of the tender for UAH 1.75 billion was the company Building Yua, which was established just a day after the tender for the construction of the first phase of the National Military Cemetery was announced.

It was founded by three companies: “Euroelitbud, Akam, and Brovary Road Construction Department No. 50.

One of these companies, Akam LLC , is associated with the sanctioned oligarch Vadym Iermolaiev, as reported by the SBU. In the midst of the scandal surrounding the construction of the military cemetery, the company changed its owner, with German Yevhen Steinberg taking the place of Yermolaiev’s daughter Sofia. But for some reason, the Ministry of Veterans turned a blind eye to this.

Just as they forgot to check Building Yua for links to other odious figures like Golik and Birkadze. The latter is involved in the NABU’s criminal proceedings, which are also linked to Yuriy Golyk. Golyk previously held an influential role in the Big Construction program, which raises suspicions of corruption schemes. Birkadze even publicly referred to Golik as a “specialist” in this program and admitted that he shared information with him from his sources in law enforcement.

These connections suggest possible conflicts of interest or backroom deals that could have influenced the outcome of the tender for Building Yua and its involvement in the National Military Memorial Cemetery project.

And despite the media coverage and a wave of public outrage, the consortium still received budget funds and began construction of the cemetery right on the swamp. Ignoring the conclusions of environmentalists and the requirements of the law.

The Minister of Veterans Kalmykova had one of the decisive words in granting the construction permit, as she is obviously interested in this state of affairs, when most of the funds have been squandered and scattered in her pockets.

By the way, this is not the first manipulation that can be traced back to the Ministry’s public procurement.

Thus, the Ministry of Veterans organizes tenders through a number of contractors, including state-owned and private enterprises, as well as individual entrepreneurs. The institutions involved are, in particular, the following: The National Defense University of Ukraine, SE Infotech, and the Western Rehabilitation and Sports Center, which operates under the auspices of the National Committee for Sports for the Disabled of Ukraine. These institutions provide a wide range of services for veterans, including advertising campaigns, event organization, transportation and rehabilitation.

Procurements by the Ministry of Veterans almost exclusively include advertising services, information campaigns, educational and rehabilitation programs. Some examples of transactions:

  1. Oleh Novytskyi, sole proprietor, for providing advertising services for UAH 75,000.
  2. Oksana Yakovlevna Romanchuk, individual entrepreneur, for organizing exhibitions and fairs (UAH 87,000).
  3. PE Ivanova Olena Oleksandrivna – photography services (UAH 95,000).
  4. PE Travelsystem – transportation for delegations.

The Ministry of Veterans has a list of legal entities whose spheres of activity are separated from each other. In particular:

  1. The Ukrainian Veterans Fund provides funding for veterans’ initiatives.
  2. Centers for social and psychological rehabilitation of veterans provide assistance in the adaptation of veterans.
  3. The National Military Memorial Cemetery organizes burials for the military.
  4. Regional veterans’ support centers coordinate local programs for veterans.
  5. Veterans’ sports and rehabilitation centers contribute to the physical recovery of veterans.

In addition, each of these centers spends public funds not on supporting veterans, their rehabilitation and protection, but on social research, advertising consulting services and information systems. The total amount of funding for these areas is millions annually. At the same time, veterans still cannot use the benefits.

So what is the real purpose of Minister Kalmykova? And what are her activities, if the issue of veterans is still a hot topic in society?

Or is Kalmykova’s area of responsibility limited to saying “everyone will fight” and covering up for her own military-connected brothers who are so confidently evading mobilization and hiding abroad?

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