Ukraine should impose sanctions against Russian citizen Mikhail Ipatov, whose company continues to operate at the Ukrainian grain terminal Olympex. This opinion was expressed by MP Mykhaylo Tsymbaliuk in an exclusive commentary to UNN.
Details
Earlier UNN reported that Ipatov, who is closely linked to Putin's close friend Russian billionaire Vladimir Potanin, has opened new programming schools in Europe that could potentially be used to improve Russian weapons technology against Ukraine, including drones.
"Unfortunately, shameful facts continue, here the work of our special services is important, on sanctions pressure is the SNBO. But for this you need enough grounds. I think that necessarily such a surname (Ipatov - ed.) does not bypass the attention of intelligence services," - said Tsymbaliuk.
At the same time, he said, the racketeering attack that hit the Okhmatdet children's hospital in Kiev shows that a large number of companies in europe are working with russia, providing them with technology, spare parts for weapons, and many of them go to russia as dual-use goods. Swiss and U.S. components were found in the wreckage of the missiles used in the attack on the children's hospital.
Incidentally, Ipatov is a longtime resident of Geneva, Switzerland, and runs Omega Terminal S.A., which founded a company of the same name in Ukraine, Omega Terminal-Ukraine, and operates the strategically important Ukrainian grain terminal Olympex.
"What there is in the public plane, in my opinion, as a lawyer - this is already a reason to impose sanctions on such a person, at least on the part of the Ukrainian authorities," Tsymbaliuk said.
At the same time, the deputy is convinced that the sanctions pressure on Russians has recently weakened.
"If we talk about russian sanctions pressure in general, it does not stand up to any criticism. We see how Rosatom is building plants in Hungary and other European countries. Therefore, we understand the burden on the security services. But when there is such information, especially in public, I am sure that the SBU is checking this information, and I think we will feel the result. Not everything usually becomes promptly known, but the NSDC should react if it has enough facts to do so," Tsymbaliuk said.
Recall
The Swiss company Omega Terminal S.A. rf citizen Mikhail Ipatov serves as the main cover for its director, allowing him to work quietly, including in Ukraine. According to public data, she is the founder of the Ukrainian company of the same name "Omega Terminal-Ukraine." Notably, this Russian company works with Attollo Granum, through which Odessa businessmen Sergei Groza and Vladimir Naumenko attempted to retain control over the Olympex grain terminal. "Attollo Granum" also appears in several criminal proceedings for tax evasion, and is also very likely to be actively cooperating with the under-sanctioned smuggler Vadim Alperin. Ipatov also runs another Swiss company of Groza and Naumenko - GNT Europe SA. This company is not just part of Groza and Naumenko's GNT Group agro-holding, it owns stakes in a number of companies in Ukraine that continue to operate even after the large-scale invasion of Russia. Moreover, some are even suspected of "gray" grain exports.