Fugitive ex-MP or a waiter: Pavlo Rizanenko and his alleged connection to the FSB
Kyiv • UNN
Pavlo Rizanenko, a former member of the Ukrainian parliament, worked for years for Russian companies linked to the Russian defense sector. His activities and connections raise suspicions of cooperation with Russian special services.
The outbreak of a full-scale war has demonstrated how many Russian agents there were in Ukraine who were just biding their time. One of them may be former MP Pavlo Rizanenko, who for many years worked for Russian companies closely connected with the defense sector and may have ties to the Russian special services, UNN writes.
Rizanenko has lived in Moscow since 1999 and worked for Russian companies. He began his career in Russia in investment companies, and then was appointed to the board of directors of VSMPO-AVISMA. The fact of Pavel Rizanenko's cooperation with this company deserves special attention.
As UNN previously reported , Rizanenko worked for the Russian VSMPO-AVISMA Corporation, which is currently under sanctions. This company is the world's largest titanium producer with a full technological cycle. The corporation is deeply integrated into the aerospace industry and cooperates with the Russian Ministry of Defense.
But it is also worth noting how the future MP of Ukraine got a position in the VSMPO-AVISMA corporation. In 2005, the Renova group of companies owned by billionaire Viktor Vekselberg tried to take over the controlling stake in this company. So, the interests of the corporation's shareholders Vladislav Tetyukhin and Vyacheslav Bresht were protected by the Russian investment company Renaissance Capital, where Rizanenko worked at the time. He was appointed to the board of directors of VSMPO-AVISMA for his successful support of this process.
It is known that companies that cooperate with the Russian defense industry hire only "proven" people. Interestingly, Vyacheslav Bresht, whose interests Rizanenko was defending, had almost 15 years of experience in the First Main Directorate of the KGB (foreign intelligence). So it is quite possible that Rizanenko was recruited by Russian special services while working in Russia and maintained ties with the FSB even after returning to Ukrainian politics.
These suspicions become even more compelling given that Rizanenko not only did not vote to recognize Russia as the aggressor country, but also continued to have assets and business in Crimea even after the annexation. However, before the full-scale invasion began on February 2, 2022, the former MP left Ukraine and has not returned since. Doesn't this indicate that his actions were aimed at supporting Russian interests even after he returned to Ukraine?
In light of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's recent statements about the return of fugitives and traitors, it is clear that investigating politicians such as Pavlo Rizanenko is not only a matter of national security, but also of justice. None of those who may have been FSB agents should escape responsibility, especially at a time when Ukraine is fighting for its survival.
