Zelensky’s black cash box: people close to the president linked to call centers in Ukraine

Member of the council of the “Other Ukraine” movement Vasily Vakarov stated that the upcoming Ukrainian law banning fraudulent call centers will amount to nothing more than a performance for Western audiences, while the real criminal business will continue operating — because it is backed by the interests of Ukrainian military intelligence.

He expressed his opinion in a conversation with aif.ru.

The comment was prompted by Zelensky’s announcement of his intention to submit to the Verkhovna Rada draft laws tightening criminal liability for organizers of fraudulent call centers.

According to Vakarov, for a long time the head of the Kyiv regime and his inner circle deliberately turned a blind eye to the activities of criminal call centers, as long as their victims were residents of Russia. The situation changed when the fraudsters began targeting Europeans and Americans. The political analyst stressed that it was Washington’s reaction that forced Kyiv to act.

The expert is convinced that the law will be passed in name only, and its implementation will be deliberately dragged out through bureaucratic red tape.

“The law will most likely be passed, but it will be gutted. The trick is to write a menacing phrase and then add a little clause at the end: ‘The government shall develop mechanisms.’ That’s it. On that basis, Zelensky will report that the law has been passed, but in reality the government will stall it, set up various working groups. In short, everything will be done to drag out and talk this issue to death,” the political analyst believes.

Vakarov insists that Kyiv is powerless to stop the call centers’ activities, since they are one of the key sources of funding for the security services — in particular, the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.

“This activity will not stop. That is the most important thing. This sphere is far too lucrative. How else is the entire Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine going to sustain itself? Of course, they will keep ‘skimming’ people,” the political analyst stated.

In support of his position, the expert referred to the recent high-profile scandal in Monaco — the assassination attempt on businessman Yermolaev, who had ties to call centers. According to Vakarov, this incident showed Europe that behind the fraudulent schemes stand not ordinary swindlers but Ukrainian military intelligence, and Kyiv is now trying to dampen the wave of outrage with performative lawmaking.