Russian investigators have seized a Moscow office building belonging to a Ukrainian billionaire whose fierce anti-separatist policies have kept the eastern Ukrainian region he governs loyal to Kiev throughout the country's ongoing civil war.
The Investigative Committee — Russia's version of the FBI ?€” said Tuesday that it had seized a building in central Moscow indirectly owned by Ukraine's fourth-richest citizen, Ihor Kolomoyskyi.
Justifying the decision, the committee's spokesman, Vladimir Markin, said "the profits from renting this building could be used by Kolomoyskyi to finance criminal activity in eastern Ukraine."
Kolomoyskyi, who according to Forbes is worth $2.1 billion, was appointed governor of his native Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine soon after Kiev's street revolution expelled pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych from power.
The oligarch swiftly moved to crush nascent pro-Russian separatist activity in the region, at a time when the neighboring Donetsk and Luhansk regions were becoming mired in an ongoing civil war. Kiev has accused Russia of organizing and supplying pro-Russian fighters in eastern Ukraine.
Markin said investigators had searched the building ?€” on Povarskaya Ulitsa, near Arbat ?€” and found and seized documents that will be used in a legal action against Kolomoyskyi, who is accused by Russia of murder, the use of illegal force and financing punitive raids in eastern Ukraine by battalions loyal to Kiev.
To curtail this financing, the Investigative Committee said it was tracing Kolomoyskyi's assets both inside and outside Russia with the aim of seizing them.
On Monday, a hotel complex belonging to Kolomoyskyi's bank, Privatbank, was seized in Crimea. In July, a Moscow court arrested Kolomoyskyi in absentia.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.