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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
During Arsen Avakov’s tenure at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, award firearms were given to deputies, prosecutors, judges, two prime ministers and one TV presenter, according to an investigation by Maryana Motrunych for the program “Our Money with Denys Bihus.” Civilians were awarded not only standard Fort pistols but also assault rifles and weapons made “to order.”
During Arsen Avakov’s tenure at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, award firearms were given to deputies, prosecutors, judges, two prime ministers and one TV presenter, according to an investigation by Maryana Motrunych for the program “Our Money with Denys Bihus.” Civilians were awarded not only standard Fort pistols but also assault rifles and weapons made “to order”
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Over the course of his leadership, Avakov handed over 2200 units of weapons. The Ministry of Internal Affairs generously recognized not only its exemplary employees but also those who have no connection to the security agency.
The Ministry claims it awards firearms for feats in the ATO. For all civilians, the basis for the award is: “for special merits in defending the constitutional rights and freedoms of a person and citizen, exemplary fulfillment of official and civic duty, showing honor and valor in doing so.” However, the extent of the merits, the exemplary fulfillment of duty, and the presence of honor and valor are determined by the Minister of Internal Affairs at his own discretion.
“I have awarded and will continue to award ceremonial weapons; this is the Minister’s authority and it is a good deed,” the minister emphasized in an interview with the program.
The Ministry recalls two illustrative examples of civilians being awarded. In 2014 year, roof-runner Mustang painted a star in Moscow. This year, bus driver Valeriy Timonin in Dnipro tried to stop a criminal who had shot police officers. Both received award firearms. Publicly and covered by the media.
The names of hundreds of other heroes are not disclosed, though they should be public. “This is not a state award, this is an honorary distinction; in fact, it is the same as a thank-you or a certificate,” explains Serhiy Lvovych, a lawyer and shooting instructor.
It took three months and dozens of requests for the “Our Money” program to obtain at least some of the names of the awarded.
In his first year in office Arsen Avakov awarded higher ranks. Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk received an Israeli Jericho 941 FBL pistol, sometimes called the child’s Desert Eagle. A year later Yatsenyuk was given a more serious toy — a Maxim machine gun. And the Ministry of Defense additionally honored the prime minister with a rare Thompson submachine gun model 1928.
Avakov also armed the current prime minister — Volodymyr Groysman. In 2014 year Volodymyr Groysman received the same pistol as Yatsenyuk — a Jericho 941 FBL. Later Avakov awarded Groysman an assault rifle Fort-221 with a Mepro 21 reflex sight. It is a copy of the Israeli Tavor rifle. The prime minister tersely comments on his armament: “No, I do not carry a weapon, but I have a weapon. I do not use weapons in my activities.”
In the summer Avakov, without naming names, reported that he had awarded 97 deputies with firearms. The orders obtained by the “Our Money” program reveal some names: BYuT member Valeriy Holovko and Avakov’s fellow party member Mykola Knyazhytsky of the “People’s Front” received domestic Fort pistols 17-05. Another BYuT member Oleksandr Dubovyi received a Glock 17. Radical Oksana Korchynska was armed with a compact American Kel-Tec PF-9 pistol.
Oksana Korchynska insists she did not choose the pistol model herself: “I said that I am still an active coordinator of the ATO Headquarters; every week — the second day after a session I spend at the front. This weapon has been with me for more than three weeks now, it is my only means of self-defense in the ATO zone; I have been there almost 2 years.”
Avakov’s advisor — Zoryan Shkiriak — is one of the most well-known awardees. He happily poses with the award Glock 26. In addition, the Ministry awarded Shkiriak a domestic Fort pistol 17. And also — an automatic rifle. In October 2014 the minister’s advisor for strategic analysis and forecasting received an AKS-74. That was the position Zoryan Shkiriak held in 2014. Yet even after reviewing the order on his own award, Zoryan Shkiriak denies having an automatic: “This is nonsense, honestly. You sent it to me, I will look and figure it out, because this is just rubbish.”
Kyiv’s mayor Vitaliy Klitschko received an Alfa revolver. He doesn’t even remember his “special merits”: “I was invited to personal events, or I don’t remember to which date, and this was presented to me. Do I hold on to it? No. Awarded — very good.”
The secretary of the Kyiv City Council Oleksiy Reznikov was also honored. He received a Brazilian Taurus pistol. Oleksiy Reznikov, although a supporter of the movement for legalizing weapons, declines to comment on the ministry’s award: “You simply can’t say everything today. Because the people who are awarded do things that aren’t always possible to speak about publicly in the country today.”
The award of the TV presenter of channel 5, the wife of the Minister of Information Policy Yana Konotop — the Ministry did not immediately recall. Despite her notable merits, for which the minister’s relative’s wife was awarded, Avakov in the summer of 2014 year honored her with a Glock 17.
The grounds for Konotop’s award are unknown to her husband. Minister of Information Policy Yuriy Stets says he cannot do anything about gifts to his wife: “You have to ask Avakov, I didn’t give it to her.”
Avakov himself believes the presenter was awarded for actions in the ATO zone together with Ministry of Internal Affairs personnel: “If she has an award weapon — I seem to recall she does — then she did our work together with those guys, including in the anti-terrorist operation zone over these years.”
A year after Avakov, Konotop received a more “feminine” weapon from the Ministry of Defense. As the program Slidstvo.info found, Stepan Poltorak gifted Konotop a compact PSM pistol for her birthday in 2015 year. Konotop explained it was for family protection.
Arsen Avakov did not ignore the judiciary. Head of the Higher Administrative Court of the country Oleksandr Nechytaylo declared a Blazer hunting carbine, a German combined rifle Krieghoff and another — a Sauer. The value of such an arsenal exceeds a judge’s annual salary. Thanks to the Ministry, Nechytaylo is also armed with a more concealed firearm: a compact Taurus pistol. The judge associates such an award with his personal security: “Obviously I need it. You understand what position I hold. Of course I carry it because I must protect myself. And I refused state protection.” For more reliable protection the judge also has a Stechkin pistol from the Ministry of Defense.
Head of the Kyiv Court of Appeal Andriy Horyaynov also received a Taurus from the Ministry for merits he could not explain.
The head of the Kyiv Commercial Court Oleg Khrypun was awarded a Taurus pistol by Avakov. Serhiy Mohyl — deputy head of the Higher Commercial Court of Ukraine — received a Fort 17-05, but categorically refused to comment. The same judge, Serhiy Sas of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, refused to talk about his Margolin pistol. The scandal-ridden Kyiv prosecutor Serhiy Yuldashev has a Taurus PT 809 and a Smith & Wesson SW1911 revolver. The no-less-scandalous head of the Kyiv city customs Yuriy Dvorak — a Taurus. The Ministry of Internal Affairs insists it does not buy weapons for awards. The minister’s orders explicitly say — “allocate from warehouses.” However, the only modern weapons that may be in MIA warehouses are the line of pistols produced by KNVO “Fort” and the polymer Jericho. Where do the Smith & Wesson, Glock 17, Kel-Tec come from? Several award orders state: “accept into the treasury funds as reimbursement for the costs of purchasing the specified property.” In other words, the MIA, through awards, legalizes weapons that the awardees themselves purchase.
MIA spokesperson Artem Shevchenko explains: “A person wants some model of weapon that is not, in this case, at the disposal of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but they are ready to purchase it with their own funds. Thus he purchases, in fact, this model of weapon and is rewarded with it for merits in accordance with the justification stated in the petition.”
The full list of civilians awarded by the Ministry according to copies of orders in the possession of the Our Money program:
Order No. 2683 o/s dated 24.12.2014 awarded Andriy Biletsky, People’s Deputy of Ukraine, with a Sig Sauer P 226 EE E 2 pistol caliber 9 mm.
Order No. 2039 o/s dated 8.10.2014 awarded Andriy Horyaynov, head of the Kyiv Court of Appeal (administrative), with a Taurus PT 809 E pistol.
Order No. 2586 o/s dated 16.12.2014 awarded Oleksandr Holichenko, head of the Zmina sports club of Desnianskyi district of Kyiv, with a Taurus PT24/7 G2C pistol. The order was signed by Acting Minister Serhiy Chebotar.
Order No. 1102 o/s dated 19.06.2014 awarded Volodymyr Groysman, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine, with a 5,56 mm assault rifle “Fort-221”, complete with a Mepro 21 reflex sight.
Order No. 1368 o/s dated 22.07.2014 awarded Volodymyr Groysman, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine, with a Jericho 941 FBL pistol caliber 9 mm.
Order No. 1977 o/s dated 30.09.2014 awarded V. Huz, head of the Main Directorate of the State Migration Service in Kharkiv region, with a Taurus PT24/7 G2 pistol.
Order No. 1990 o/s dated 2.10.2014 awarded Yuriy Dvorak, head of the Kyiv city customs of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine, with a Taurus PT 809 C pistol caliber 9X19 mm.
Order No. 1927 o/s dated 24.09.2014 awarded Ivan Didenko, Deputy Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine, with a Beretta PX4 Storm FS pistol caliber 9X19 mm.
Order No. 651 o/s dated 17.04.2014 awarded Oleksandr Dubovyi, People’s Deputy of Ukraine, with a Glock 17 pistol. Order No. 2250 o/s dated 28.10.2014 awarded Dutchak, president of the UPG Group holding company, with a Taurus PT 917 pistol.
Order No. 2591 o/s dated 16.12.2014 awarded Ivan Yemets, director of the Scientific and Practical Center for Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, with a “Fort 17-05” pistol caliber 9 mm. The order was signed by Acting Minister Serhiy Chebotar.
Order No. 2305 o/s dated 4.11.2014 awarded Ihor Yeremeyev, People’s Deputy of Ukraine, with a Taurus PT 111 PRO pistol caliber 9 mm.
Order No. 781 o/s dated 28.04.2015 awarded Karpushyn Serhiy Yuriyovych, assistant to a People’s Deputy of Ukraine, with a Walter P99 AS pistol.
Order No. 617 o/s dated 7.04.2015 awarded Yu. Kasyanov, commercial director of LLC “BRT”, founder of the charitable foundation “ARMY SOS”, with an AKMS automatic rifle caliber 7,62 mm.
Order No. 2169 o/s dated 22.10.2014 awarded S. Klymenko, private entrepreneur and public figure, with a Taurus PT 809 pistol.
Order No. 1453 o/s dated 31.07.2014 awarded Vitaliy Klitschko, head of the Kyiv City State Administration, with a sporting revolver Alfa, model 3541, caliber 357 Magnum.
Order No. 458 o/s dated 31.03.2014 awarded Mykola Knyazhytsky, People’s Deputy of Ukraine, with a “Fort 17-05” pistol caliber 9 mm, complete with a case.
Order No. 1206 o/s dated 2.07.2014 awarded Yana Konotop, journalist of the nationwide “5 channel”, with a Glock 17 pistol caliber 9 mm.
Order No. 777 o/s dated 28.04.2014 awarded Oksana Korchynska, People’s Deputy of Ukraine, with a Kel-Tec PF -9 pistol.
Order No. 2044 o/s dated 8.10.2014 awarded Serhiy Mohyl, deputy head of the Higher Commercial Court of Ukraine, with a “Fort 17-05” pistol caliber 9 mm, complete with a case.
Order No. 2609 o/s dated 17.12.2014 awarded Oleksiy Mochanov, journalist and volunteer, with a Sig Sauer P 226 pistol caliber 9 mm.
Order No. 2167 o/s dated 22.10.2014 awarded Oleksandr Nechytaylo, head of the Higher Administrative Court of Ukraine, with a Taurus PT 111 PRO pistol caliber 9 mm.
Order No. 775 o/s dated 28.04.2015 awarded Dmytro Mykolayenko,
sales director of the Metinvest group, with a Sig Sauer P 226 ALSO pistol.
Order No. 2251 o/s dated 28.10.2014 awarded A. Pambukhchyan, a board member of the Kyiv Armenian community, with a Taurus PT 917 pistol.
Order No. 2693 o/s dated 24.12.2014 awarded O. Podolyak, general director of the private agricultural firm “Podolyak”, with a Sig Sauer P 226 EE E 2 pistol, caliber 9 mm.
Order No. 2095 o/s dated 14.10.2014 awarded Oleksiy Yuriyovych Reznikov, deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration — secretary, with a Taurus PT 809 C pistol.
Order No. 2168 o/s dated 22.10.2014 awarded Serhiy Mykolayovych Rybak, private entrepreneur and public figure, with a Taurus PT 809 C pistol, caliber 9X19 mm.
Order No. 2803 o/s dated 30.12.2014 awarded Rostomyan Vachagan Onikovich,
vice-president of the All-Ukrainian Association of Public Organizations “Union of Armenians of Ukraine”, with a Glock 19 pistol. The order was signed by Acting Minister Vasyl Paskal.
Order No. 1087 o/s dated 17. 06.2014 awarded Serhiy Sas, judge of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, with a Margolin (MCM) pistol caliber 5,6 mm.
Order No. 342 o/s dated 27.02.2015 awarded tax service advisor of 1 rank Ihor Petrovych Sinhaievskyi,
head of the Main Directorate of the State Fiscal Service in Odesa region, with a CZ -75 SEP-01 Shadow pistol caliber 9 mm. From April 2013 to May 2014, Ihor Sinhaievskyi headed the Revenue Service in Volyn region.
Order No. 753 o/s dated 30.04.2014 awarded Oleksandr Turchynov,
Acting President of Ukraine, with a sporting revolver Alfa, model 3541, caliber 357 Magnum. The order states: “accept into the treasury funds as reimbursement for the costs of purchasing the specified property.”
Order No. 2044 o/s dated 8.10.2014 awarded Oleg Oleksiyovych Khrypun, head of the Kyiv Commercial Court of Appeal, with a Taurus PT 809 C pistol.
Order No. 2684 o/s dated 24.12. 2014 awarded Serhiy Oleksiyovych Yuldashev,
prosecutor of the city of Kyiv, with a Smith & Wesson SW 1911 caliber 45 ACP mm.
Order No. 2028 o/s dated 7.10.2014 awarded Serhiy Oleksiyovych Yuldashev, prosecutor of the city of Kyiv, with a Taurus PT24/7 G2 pistol.
Order No. 1369 o/s dated 22.07.2014 awarded Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Prime Minister of Ukraine, with a Jericho 941 FBL pistol caliber 9 mm.
Order No. 2113 o/s dated 15.10.2014 awarded an advisor to the Minister of the Department for Ensuring the Minister’s Activities, Strategic Analysis and Forecasting of the MIA of Ukraine, with an AKS-74 automatic rifle.
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