Ukraine: Global - Confiscated Russian assets in Ukraine and how the state can get refunds from the oligarchs directly financing Russian aggression

Confiscated Russian assets in Ukraine and how the state can get refunds from the oligarchs directly financing Russian aggression

05/05/23 • 16 min

Ukrainian media have recently published a massive report by Elizabeth Owen about confiscated Russian assets in Ukraine. The report is based on findings by Ukrainian journalists Maksym Savchuk, Nadia Burdyey, and Heorhiy Shabayev in a probe by Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service. Arie Mora from the Ukrainian Legal Advisory Group believes that the confiscation of Russian assets in Ukraine is still an open question. The state tries to understand how to do it correctly. So, the process of confiscating Russian assets in Ukraine has only just started. It is a question of morality and dignity. Such steps will definitely help the Ukrainian economy and strengthen the budget of defense forces. Still, it is quite tricky in juridical moments as Ukraine wants to stick to international law. At the same time, Ukrainian bureaucratic bodies make the confiscating process slower than Ukrainians want. We just need to be patient enough to see all those who are responsible for war crimes in Ukraine in jail and their money confiscated.

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the reaction of Ukrainian and international artists and performers to the tragedy of Russia’s war against Ukraine

On February 24th, 2022, all Ukrainians were woken up by the news of Russia’s brutal attack on their land. Artists and performers did not stay aloof: they donated to the Ukrainian army, bought equipment, clothing and other essentials for soldiers, or raised funds in this country and abroad, encouraging nations to support Ukraine. Alex Borovenskiy, director of ProEnglish Theater, told RU’s Viktoriya Kriukova about his personal experience of writing songs and stage performances. “This war is a painful reality, and we need to realize the new circumstances we all live in. Culture can't stay aloof,” says Alex. Ukrainian and world artists have shown that we have more in common than just military and financial cooperation, which is crucial for driving the enemy out. We have the same values and we believe that such horrors can't happen in the 21st century, and we must stop it.

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Inner sabotage in Russia and how it can help the Ukrainian military

This edition of Ukraine Global is about inner sabotage in Russia and how it can help the Ukrainian military to drive the enemy out of our land. Russian officials reported explosions on May 1 on the power lines in Russian's Leningrad region and a railway in the Bryansk region that borders Ukraine.

Christo Grozev, a Bulgarian investigative journalist and author, believes that sabotage among the Russian population can start at any moment if they know the real facts about killed soldiers. He says the number of killed commanders, generals, and lieutenant colonels in Russia is incomparable with any conflict of decades. It is interesting to count, even statistically, the number of victims on their part. They believe it takes 1,000 Russian soldiers to kill one general. So the number of killed officers has grown, and they recognize it. All local newspapers write about their death. Central television does not speak, but they write. It is still unclear who exactly made explosions on May 1 on the power lines in Russian's Leningrad region and a railway in the Bryansk region that borders Ukraine. But inner disappointment among the Russian population started to arise. Indeed, the majority of Russians still support their dictator. Still, the underground forces in Russia who are against the regime exist in the country and are becoming more visible.

Plus, the incompetency of the Russian military made possible the bombing of Belgorod beneficial for the Ukrainian Army, which has shown good results lately on the battlefield.