If we imagine Ukraine as a global stock market, then the value of its regions-assets would be noticeably different. Some would be clearly underestimated. Among these is the Zaporozhye region, writes Bagnet.
For 30 years of independence, this territory with a colossal industrial and geostrategic potential has not presented a wealthy administrative elite. Therefore, almost all regional leaders at all times were appointed there despite regional expectations. At the same time, in the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions, personnel policy in the center was usually built into the local elite landscape.
Ivan Fedorov. A chatty head from the telethon or a new regional Arestovich
Of the most critical appointments in Zaporozhye, one can recall the outrageous “guest performers” Chervonenko and Bryl, as well as the local indistinct Old Woman, who was twice brought into the White House on Cathedral Avenue. The latest regional rotations have shown the local elites another new face – a native of the SBU, Yuri Malashko. In early February, he was appointed head of the regional military administration (VA).
Now, only the head of Zaporozhye is missing to form a vertical of authority in the region. The city has been living without a legitimate mayor for a year and a half. However, in wartime conditions, a head can be “transplanted” there only in the format of the head of the VA. And such intentions are regarded by the locals as an encroachment on self-government. After all, the townspeople used to choose the mayor from among the representatives of their community.
Today, the bloodless Zaporizhzhia is at risk of getting a hyperactive political “paratrooper” as mayor. Far from the people and incomprehensible to the local elites. The so-called Melitopol clan and its star from the telethon, the mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov, most purposefully aimed at the magistracy.
For the masses, this character is known as the chatty head of the telethon, able to grind and utilize limitless thematic streams. Independent experts have calculated that for several months in a row he appears in the marathon three times a week on average, and is the most active speaker. Such regularity is possible only if there is a “subscription” signed in Kyiv and a plan of political launch approved there.
That allows you to convert the advertising limit into political bonuses per hour.
Probably, in the Office of the President, Fedorov was assigned the role of a representative of the regional policy of the current government. Conditional Arestovich from the regions, reinforced by an official position. During this time, the mayor has learned television rhetoric and knows how to look convincing. However, in his case, this persuasiveness is possible only in the warm bath of a telethon. After all, there is no need to comment on their own vulnerabilities, while unknown to the general public. But in a certain scenario, this can drown the character himself in negativity and channel this negativity against his stakeholders.
Those who are not familiar with Fedorov at the telethon note his political and moral omnivorousness. As an example, they cite his stay for a short period in antagonist parties (Yanukovych’s PR and Poroshenko’s EU). Moreover, as the latter’s henchman, Fedorov did not allow the list of “Servants of the People” to be elected to the Melitopol City Council. It is significant that this annoyance today does not prevent him from everywhere sticking out his closeness to the incumbent president and responsiveness to the wishes of his political strength.
In Zaporozhye, political technologists are positioning Fedorov as a local candidate. They forbade him to remember his Melitopol roots, which in fact are not their own for the Cossacks. The rivalry between the two regional elites has been going on since Soviet times and is explained by the fact that the level of loyalty to the Russian Federation among the “Melitopol” has always been an order of magnitude higher than that of the rest of the elites of southern Ukraine. The reason is the presence on their territory of a stable solvent demand of Russians for agricultural products and recreation in nearby Kirillovka. Zaporozhye could not boast of such assets.
The factor of loyalty to the Russian Federation became a key factor in Fedorov’s decision to bring down the electoral list of Zelensky’s team to the city council. He understood that the increasingly popular pro-Ukrainian stance of the Servant of the People was diluting his pro-Russian electorate. And he solved the problem radically, resetting Zelensky’s list to zero because of the local election commission.
Land schemes and privatization of heating networks in Melitopol
The appointment of Fedorov in connection with the visiting governor-silovik in Zaporozhye will be interpreted as an attempt by the “Kyiv” to finish off the assets of the city. This decision will be perceived there as disrespect for the townspeople. And this disrespect will be transferred to President Zelensky, who forms the gubernatorial vertical and is responsible for the deployed personnel.
A significant negative marker of Fedorov also lies in the corruption loops that for many years envelop him in the positions of vice-mayor and mayor of Melitopol. Two stories with a hint of crime attract the most media attention. According to the publication “Our town”, the mayor of Melitopol Fedorov is involved in the Epicentrum scam, which is grandiose by local standards. We are talking about the withdrawal of the Prodmash plant from municipal ownership and the construction of its main building of an office center and a hotel with a shopping complex.
Journalists found out that the city council leased the land on which the building is located for 25 years to Dobrobut-SR LLC. Among its founders is the father of the wife of the MP and ex-mayor of Melitopol Sergei Minko, as well as the mother of the current mayor Ivan Fedorov.
According to the investigation, the deputies of the City Council voted in favor of crushing the land, leasing the main plot to an enterprise founded by the people’s deputy’s father-in-law and the mayor’s mother. On this agreement, the city lost a key asset and millions of hryvnias that could have been raised to the budget from the sale of the building and land.
The second dubious story is connected with the illegal privatization of the objects of the city heating system. According to OBOZREVATELheat-supplying objects without competition were transferred by the deputy rent commission to private firms of the deputy mayor Ivan Fedorov.
“Intentionally bringing LLC Melitopol Heating Networks to a loss-making state, the leadership of Melitopol decided to create LLC Teplo-Melitopol,” the publication says.
After that, by the decision of the Executive Committee of the City Council, the tariffs for thermal energy in the city were doubled. According to the publication, “Minka and Fedorov’s people are sitting in Teplo-Melitopol LLC.”
The mentioned cases suggest that if Fedorov is appointed head of the military administration of Zaporozhye, the townspeople should worry about the fate of heating networks and pray for the preservation of utility tariffs. And the Office of the President will need to carefully control his protege, anticipating the scandals that he led to in Melitopol. Or, which is simpler, to abandon the scandalous personnel decision.
Ivan Fedorov. Mysterious documents signed with the FSB
The most toxic marker of Ivan Fedorov is his ambiguous relationship with representatives of the Russian Federation. His public position on these issues is impeccably pro-Ukrainian. But there are nuances. Recall that Fedorov’s start as a public speaker took place after his unexpected infatuation with the Russians and his quick dismissal. The reason for the dismissal was the signing by him of some documents that no one except the Russians and Fedorov had seen. The mayor confirms this fact, calling the signed documents legally null and void.
In general, this story has noticeable signs of reaching a certain agreement by the parties. We have no reason to call this process the recruitment of a Ukrainian citizen by representatives of the FSB. Only employees of the Ukrainian counterintelligence can provide such a conclusion. But we can note a few ambiguous nuances.
Firstly, there is information that in January 2022, a month before the war, Fedorov traveled to Belarus twice, he did not publicly explain the reason for his trips. Secondly, there is information about strange transactions in the occupied territories from the structural divisions of the Melitopol City Council reporting to Fedorov. Fedorov, as a working mayor, should be held accountable for such acts.
We opened some stories about the activities of a public politician who claims to be in the top position. We are sure that Ivan Fedorov should explain the facts to the public. Probably, a number of questions may arise from the relevant authorities. In any case, convincing explanations will help the mayor to remove certain suspicions from himself and convince the Ukrainians that he has no special relationship with the aggressor country.
translation Skeleton.Info
DOSSIER: Evgeny Chervonenko: racer for life. PART 1
Konstantin Bryl: lies and gold of the Zaporizhzhya governor-general. PART 1
Oleksandr Starukh: the second term of the Zaporozhye governor-schemer. PART 1
Vladimir and Sergey Kaltsev: long-term “rotten” pillars of the Opposition Platform for Life in Zaporozhye. Part 1