Ukraine’s consul in the Dominican Republic became a former model who had posed in lingerie and kokoshniks

On March 21, Ukraine opened an honorary consulate in the Dominican Republic. The new honorary consul there is Viktoriia Yakymova, who previously worked as a model in the Dominican Republic and had posed in kokoshniks and revealing outfits.

She announced her appointment on Facebook.

“When I submitted my candidacy for the position of honorary consul, I did not try to hide my previous life connected with modeling. A modern self-sufficient woman has the right to fulfill herself in her chosen profession, as well as to change her direction of development and grow,” Yakymova wrote.

An honorary, or non-staff, consul is an official representative of a foreign state who is usually a citizen of the host country rather than of the state that appoints them. As a rule, such a person deals with the development of economic, cultural, and scientific ties, as well as with protecting the interests of citizens. An honorary consul performs these duties without pay and is not considered a civil servant.

Yakymova is known to be originally from Odesa and now lives in the Dominican city of La Romana. She holds a degree from Odesa State University of Economics. In addition to modeling, she works for the company v-tersolutions, which develops software for logistics companies.

In December 2022, there was already a scandal involving Ukraine’s ambassador to Bulgaria, a post to which Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Olesia Ilashchuk. Media reported that she had no diplomatic experience or relevant education, but described herself as a sexologist.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, however, insisted that Ilashchuk had the necessary qualifications for diplomatic service.