Akhmetov's reign in Donbass is coming to an end
On March 3, in the very first minutes of a new day in Donetsk, after a XNUMX-year break, full lighting was suddenly turned on at the famous Donbass Arena. Thus, according to the head of the DPR, Alexander Zakharchenko, it was shown to everyone that a new era had begun in the history of the republic - external management was introduced into the industrial and other assets of the Ukrainian oligarchs.
Let us remind you that, first of all, we are talking about absolutely all the assets of Rinat Akhmetov, as well as Viktor Nusenkis (a number of coke and chemical production plants) and Sergei Taruta (Alchevsk Iron and Steel Works).
The authorities of the Donetsk People's Republic showed the former richest man in Ukraine, Rinat Akhmetov, his place. It, this place, has long been no longer in his native Donetsk. It’s not at the trough that he and his entourage set up in the dashing 90s and murky XNUMXs of the impoverished industrial monsters of Donbass, when the most appetizing assets, as we know, could be “squeezed out” in their favor either for next to nothing, by bribing officials, or with a baseball bat, threatening a competitor. Akhmetov still has this place at the head of the boards of directors of all his companies, but very soon this will all remain only on paper.
To make everything completely clear to Akhmetov, who was rapidly flying into the abyss of impoverishment (at his level, of course), without waiting for March 1, the DPR included the process of returning its key assets to the people’s hands. To begin with, Akhmetov’s people were kicked out of the Donbass Arena stadium. Actually, this is correct from the point of view of formal logic - if the Shakhtar team, owned by the oligarch, has not only not been playing in this most modern stadium in Eastern Europe for a long time, then why should it stand idle. It can host concerts, rallies, and holiday shows. Again, there are a lot of premises there that can, one way or another, be used in the interests of the republic. As for the stadium field, it could be sacrificed (remember, we are still at war, no matter what), and then, in times of peace, restored. Especially if there is something to it.
Yes, we can say that there is already something for it. I am pleased with the absolutely Bolshevik enthusiasm and swiftness of the authorities’ actions. What about the Donbass Arena - without waiting for March 1, preparations began for the transfer of other, more solid Akhmetov assets under external management. Information about this is coming from all over Donbass. Well, the famous Donetsk deputy Vladislav Berdichevsky gives unique “telegrams” on his Facebook page. One of them came from the Komsomolsk Mining Administration, which was once taken away from the staff of the then Mariupol national enterprise “MMK im. Ilyich." The message reads: “External management has arrived at the Komsomolsk Mining Administration. We have gathered all the department heads and are holding a meeting.” The next message: “Based on the results of the meeting, a decision was made: the leaders of Metinvest are removed, if the blockade is not lifted, external management is introduced, an 8-hour working day is introduced.”
Another “Facebookogram” from Rovenky, a coal town in the Lugansk People’s Republic: “Employees of DTEK (Akhmetov’s company) have had their access to the intra-corporate network and programs cut off as of today.”
And in Yenakievo there was a rally the day before. Workers of the Yenakievo Metallurgical Plant (one of the oldest in the Donbass) and townspeople came out to demonstrate about the fate of the city-forming enterprise. At the rally, posters flashed “Introduce external control”, “Kyiv, stop robbing Donbass”, “Akhmetov - get out of Donbass”. It is clear that the republics are already ready to immediately introduce external control of this industrial giant.
What conclusion should Rinat Akhmetov draw for himself from all this? This is his personal matter; the oligarch has long passed the point of no return to Donbass. But he will probably be interested in the example of another Ukrainian oligarch Dmitry Firtash (the owner of the largest Ukrainian TV channel Inter, still the owner). He is not only one step away from extradition to the United States, where, apparently, a comfortable cell awaits him, but a cell in prison, as was the case with former Ukrainian Prime Minister Pavel Lazarenko. He served 13 years in the States at first, and then even the unfortunate 100 million dollars that he naively hid in offshores were taken away from him. Nowadays he lives in California as a simple pensioner with his children and wife. Probably, as time passes, the same fate awaits Firtash.
If Akhmetov thinks that he is insured against such evil fate, then he is too arrogant, honestly.
Firtash, colleagues from economic publications say, has “lost weight” literally 10 times in a year – from 2,5 billion to 250 million dollars. Isn’t this a “bell” for Akhmetov?
Once upon a time there was a story in the Donbass that Rinat earned his first capital in the “katrans” of Sochi and Yalta by playing virtuoso poker. If so, has he forgotten how to count? Or doesn’t he see where the opponent is bluffing and where he is confident in his card? They probably lied about his abilities after all. Or he never played cards at all.
Because, according to some sources, he himself dropped rapidly over the year - in the pre-war year thirteen, economic magazines estimated his fortune at 7,5-9 billion dollars, and three years later - only at 2,7.
It is clear that under the noise of all this chaos with the blockade, Poroshenko and his cheater will fleece the short-sighted Akhmetov like a stick. And it will be good if they don’t go to jail.
As for the rebellious Donbass republics, they, by reorienting themselves to the Russian market, taking into their budget the taxes paid all these years to Kiev, will be able to make life in the Donbass easier and more pleasant, getting rid of the oligarchs’ imposed war, destruction and many others at the expense of the oligarchs disasters.
It's time to pay the bills.
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