A key ally to Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to have been captured by Ukrainian forces.
Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, dressed in military camouflage, is seen sitting in a chair in handcuffs in a photo shared on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky‘s Telegram account on Tuesday.
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“A special operation was carried out thanks to the SBU. Well done! Details later. Glory to Ukraine!” he said in the message, according to a Google translation.
Zelensky’s official telegram account announces that SBU caught the fugitive oligarch and Putin’s close friend Viktor Medvedchuk. Camouflage and all. pic.twitter.com/DkWa5xlOEq
— Christo Grozev (@christogrozev) April 12, 2022
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he saw the imagery of Medvedchuk detained but claimed it was too early to tell whether it was authentic, according to Russian state-run news agency TASS.
Putin is godfather to one of Medvedchuk’s two daughters, and the two men have vacationed together in the past. Officials believe Putin was eyeing Medvedchuk to helm a pro-Russian puppet state in Ukraine if Moscow was able to overthrow the government, Newsweek reported.
Medvedchuk was known for his strong pro-Russia political beliefs and was the co-chairman of the eurosceptic Opposition Platform — For Life party until losing that position last month. Zelensky has since suspended the party, citing its links to the Kremlin.
Last year, Medvedchuk was put on house arrest for allegations of treason and looting Ukrainian resources in Crimea. Medvedchuk was believed to have fled house arrest four days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in late February, according to the New York Post. His capture marks a significant moral victory for Zelensky.
“You can be a pro-Russian politician and work for the aggressor state for years. You may be hiding from justice lately. You can even wear a Ukrainian military uniform for camouflage,” Ivan Bakanov, chairman of the Security Service of Ukraine, or SBU, said in a statement posted to Twitter, per a Google translation. “But will it help you escape punishment? Not at all! Shackles are waiting for you.”
Ти можеш бути проросійським політиком і роками працювати на державу-агресора. Ти можеш ховатися від правосуддя останнім часом. Можеш навіть одягнути українську військову форму для маскування… Але чи допоможе тобі це втекти від покарання? Аж ніяк! Кайдани чекають на тебе.
1/4 pic.twitter.com/MmCNLVXiAJ
— СБ України (@ServiceSsu) April 12, 2022
Zelensky proposed a prisoner swap in a video address.
“I propose to the Russian Federation to exchange ‘your guy’ for our boys and our girls who are now in Russian captivity. It is therefore important that our law enforcement and military also consider this possibility,” he said, according to CNN.
Medvedchuk had an estimated net worth of $620 million in 2021, according to Forbes. However, it is possible the war may have taken a toll on his net worth. Reports surfaced last month in Croatian media that his $200 million yacht may have been seized by authorities, Newsweek reported. Medvedchuk has also been subject to sanctions from Western nations such as the United States for “his role in undermining Ukrainian sovereignty.”
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After the annexation of Crimea, Ukrainian officials relied on Medvedchuk as a mediator with the Kremlin and used him to negotiate prisoner exchanges with pro-Russian separatist forces in the Donbas region, according to the Washington Post.
That role came to an abrupt end shortly after Zelensky became president. In 2021, Zelensky signed a degree accusing him of supporting terrorism and froze his assets, the outlet reported.
