KYIV — Four former Ukrainian officials, identified by Britain as allegedly working with Russian intelligence services “to subvert Ukraine,” all served in the government of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. Yanukovych fled the country after massive protests drove him from power eight years ago.
Murayev, who owns a pro-Russian television channel in Ukraine, dismissed the allegations as “stupidity and nonsense” in texts to the British Daily Telegraph.
It was not clear from the British statement whether the office was accusing the four former officials of involvement in the alleged Russian plot. Officials alleged that some of the four were in contact with Russian officials “currently involved in the planning for an attack on Ukraine.”
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Here are the four Ukrainians named in the British report. None could be reached for comment Sunday.
MYKOLA AZAROV
Azarov served as prime minister from the beginning of Yanukovych’s presidency in 2010.
In late 2013, when Yanukovych’s decision not to sign a political and economic agreement with the European Union spurred protests in Kyiv and other parts of the country, Azarov’s resignation was among the demonstrators’ top demands.
He stepped down in January 2014, one month before bloody clashes between protesters and riot police ended Yanukovych’s presidency. He fled Ukraine, and in January 2015, Interpol issued a red notice, an international wanted person alert, for his arrest.
ANDRIY KLYUYEV
Klyuyev was at different times Yanukovych’s chief of staff, deputy prime minister and head of his National Security and Defense Council.
He was also a prominent figure in Yanukovych’s Party of Regions and worked closely with Yanukovych’s American adviser, Paul Manafort. In the 2018 federal trial in which Manafort was found guilty of bank fraud and filing false tax returns, prosecutors said Klyuyev was among those who paid Manafort for his services. President Donald Trump later pardoned Manafort.
In 2019, the State Security Service of Ukraine said Klyuyev lived in Russia.
SERHIY ARBUZOV
Arbuzov served as a deputy prime minister and head of the national bank under Yanukovych. He replaced Mykola Azarov as prime minister after Azarov resigned in 2014.
Arbuzov was alleged to be part of a group during the Yanukovych presidency that opposition politicians and the media referred to as “the family” — a circle of close associates, led by Yanukovych, who allegedly grew rich through corruption.
He is wanted in Ukraine for alleged abuse of his official position and stealing government funds. Arbuzov has denied the accusations.
VLADIMIR SIVKOVICH
Sivkovich was deputy secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council during Yanukovych’s presidency.
The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Sivkovich last week for alleged engagement “in Russian government-directed influence activities to destabilize Ukraine.”
U.S. officials said he “worked with a network of Russian intelligence actors” and “coordinated with Russian intelligence services” to carry out influence campaigns and spread disinformation against the US. He is also alleged to have ties to Russia’s intelligence service, the FSB.
