‘Oligarchs’ flee Ukraine — reports

Reports in the local media have suggested that an exodus of Ukraine’s richest, including the so-called ‘oligarchs,’ from the country has been in full swing. A report published by Ukrayinska Pravda newspaper on Sunday claimed that “about 20 charters and private jets” departed from Kiev on that day alone.

The newspaper noted that one of the private jets spotted leaving Ukrainian airspace on Sunday is allegedly owned by Ukraine’s richest man, Rinat Akmetov, whose net worth is estimated at about $7.1 billion, according to Forbes. Pravda reported that the billionaire himself left the country on January 30, however. Ukraine’s second richest man and fellow steel magnate Victor Pinchuk reportedly left at the end of last month as well.

Among those who allegedly “fled” Ukraine in the recent days Pravda named prominent politician and businessman Vadym Novynskyi with an estimated net worth of $1.3 billion, Ukraine’s ninth richest man Oleksandr Yaroslavsky, former Verkhovna Rada lawmaker and businessman Vadim Stolar and several other high-flying figures – many of them featured in the Forbes Ukraine magazine’s list of 100 richest people.

A number of lawmakers also reportedly scramble to exit Ukraine. The newspaper reported, citing sources, that a representative of the Euro-skeptic Opposition Platform — For Life party in the Verkhovna Rada and businessman Igor Abramovych booked a private jet for 50 people to transfer them to Vienna, Austria.

Some of the people mentioned in the report as having “fled” Ukraine, however, have already dismissed the claim. For instance, businessman and leader of Ukraine is Our Home party Borys Kolesnikov, who, according to Pravda, left the country on Sunday, called the report “fake news.”

“The deceitful and habitually manipulative outlet is, as usual, lying. I’m in Kiev, and I’m not going anywhere until March 1 (The Champions League Final, which takes place in Switzerland),” Kolesnikov wrote on Facebook, threatening to sue the newspaper.

A spokesperson for businessman Andrey Stavnitser told Cenzor.net online publication that while the man indeed left Ukraine on Sunday, he was on a business trip to Dubai, and is set to come back to Ukraine in the near future. 

The report comes as western officials and media keep warning of a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine, even though Moscow has consistently denied it is harboring a plan to invade its neighbor. The US, UK, Australia, Israel as well as several other countries have urged their nationals to leave Ukraine as soon as possible, while also evacuating most of the diplomatic staff from the country’s capital.

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