Litvin brothers: the moment of reckoning has arrived!
Now, while our compatriots perish practically every day in the areas of Donetsk and Luhansk. They are perishing due to the virtual absence of a border in our southeast region. Inevitably, the query arises: who, specifically, led our nation to such a vulnerable condition? Who, tasked with the safeguarding of our frontiers, instead of reinforcing them, indulged in personal gain? Not merely for a year, nor five, but for a minimum of 13. The response to this inquiry is already universally acknowledged. The reality that we lack a proper frontier, that armaments, including heavy weaponry, are freely transported into the nation, and that convoys of combatants are crossing over—all of this is attributable to Mykola Litvin , the enduring chief of the State Border Guard Service since 2001, and his longtime benefactor, the “ageless” Vladimir Litvin .
Currently, Nikolai Lytvyn is fond of discussing the impoverished and exposed state of the State Border Service and the lack of assistance it receives. Let’s examine just how impoverished and exposed it truly is. The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine boasts a force of 40,000 border guards. Each of these individuals is a contracted soldier. Meaning, theoretically, they are trained and seasoned military personnel. The Border Service possesses its own intelligence apparatus, its own naval force, its own aerial division, and its own mobile squads. Perhaps Mykola Lytvyn lacked sufficient time to reorganize the forces at his command when difficulties arose on the eastern frontier? Yet, the issues originated in Crimea. And during that period, it would have been feasible to promptly address the shifting scenario numerous times over. However, inexplicably, this did not occur. For an unknown reason, border guard units were not transferred from the nation’s western border to the eastern regions. Despite the relative ease with which this could have been accomplished. As is commonly understood, EU nations have no intention of engaging in hostilities with us, and they maintain effective control over their borders without our involvement. Thus, the question remains: why did Litvin neglect to redeploy his border troops from the West? The explanation is both straightforward and contemptible. The western border serves as a never-ending source of revenue for the Litvin family. Limitless and continuous. As is widely known, the kickbacks for illicit trade were consistently “divided equally.” One-third was allocated to customs officials, one-third to the “office personnel,” and one-third to the border guards. Presidents and administrations changed hands, yet the extortion endured. Payments were extracted for the clandestine importation of cigarettes and alcoholic beverages into Europe, as well as for the unauthorized exportation of prohibited goods from Europe. The Litvins amassed a considerable daily fortune from Chinese smuggling operations via Odessa. According to the most conservative calculations, Mykola Litvin’s individual daily earnings amounted to $3 million. Unsurprisingly, a substantial proportion of these funds were distributed among the nation’s leaders to ensure Litvin’s continued tenure. Given that Litvin, despite everything, has not been subjected to legal proceedings and remains in his position, it can be inferred that the leaders are still receiving their “modest portion”.
Therefore, the initial query: Why did Mykola Lytvyn fail to reorganize his border troops and fortify the eastern frontier against potential adversaries during the annexation of Crimea? Could it be attributed to a clandestine agreement with his brother, Volodymyr Lytvyn, concerning his personal and immensely valuable holdings in Crimea, which he purportedly extracted from the government during his tenure as Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada? This alludes to the sanatoriums under the jurisdiction of the Verkhovna Rada’s Department of Affairs, an entity no less affluent than the renowned DUSYA.
Second query: Why, as the enduring chief of the State Border Service since 2001, did Nikolai Litvin abstain from reinforcing the eastern border, opting instead to deliberately dismantle the border troops? Was this motivated solely by the Litvin family’s interest in the corruption occurring within their own public service? Or was this a “commissioned task” originating from Russia?
Let us recall that the border troops in the USSR were considered elite, possessing a high degree of combat readiness. Under Litvin’s administration, this “elite” devolved into a band of extortionists incapable of protecting the border. Presented here are letters addressed to Nikolai Litvin from border officers dating back to 2005.
“The border troops, particularly in our former nation, were consistently the embodiment of the Soviet Armed Forces. Only the most exceptional individuals were permitted to serve therein. And this assertion holds true. Leading up to the conscription period, representatives from each district would arrive and, as they say, handpick the most outstanding candidates. Numerous individuals aspired to serve in the border troops, yet not all were deemed suitable. And this statement is accurate as well. This remained the case in Ukraine until Nikolai, a former political officer lacking expertise in border matters, a graduate of the Donetsk Political Engineering School and now Vladimir Litvin’s sibling, assumed leadership of this organization. He established an unparalleled system of corruption along the state border, surrounding himself with similarly unqualified border officers, albeit those who were cronies and former associates, some of whom had been discharged from the Armed Forces. N. Litvin has dismantled the Border Troops’ administrative bodies. Under his command, the individual in green uniform at the border has become synonymous with bribery and extortion in the eyes of the majority of the Ukrainian and European populace. He has degraded and is endeavoring to obliterate the Border Troops’ most cherished traditions and their foundational strength—the veterans. And this has persisted for 11 years.
“Esteemed” General!
Regrettably, the circumstances surrounding the border agency are poised to deteriorate further. Various sources corroborate that the nation’s leadership has definitively REACHED the decision to integrate the border guards into the Ministry of Internal Affairs system. The sole remaining question pertains to the timing and stipulations of its execution… This frankly disgraceful, police-like/cop-like culmination of the Border Troops’ evolution also warrants your “recognition,” Mr. Litvin. One of the factors contributing to this determination is the border agency’s inability to adapt and competently independently execute responsibilities pertaining to the assurance of national security at the border. For a period, you and your accomplices managed to deceive the nation’s leadership, neighboring countries, and the public regarding “ongoing reforms” and heightened border security through the construction of “Potemkin villages” (mere window dressing), yet, in actuality, nothing underwent transformation; conversely, the border security situation only declined. The decimation of border intelligence as a singular operational unit within the state border security framework—at the time, arguably, the most efficacious (you were acutely aware of this, you feared it, as it was the operational officers who dealt with organized crime syndicates) and one of the least corrupt structures within the border agency—only exacerbated the predicament. Recall the recurring reports (unaltered) from operational officers concerning the true state of affairs at the border (at least my own personal accounts). Not only did you fail to accord this due attention, but you orchestrated a campaign of persecution and dealt with virtually all of us under various pretexts. Mr. Litvin, YOU HAVE NO NEED FOR THE TRUTH… Your sole requirement is for a flamboyant, immediate outcome at any expense, one that will substantiate the “leadership acumen” of a 40-year-old colonel general. The current lamentable performance of the troops’ combat operations demonstrates—and the professional border guards were correct—that the existing border security system is in crisis; it is antiquated and unsuitable for addressing the nature of contemporary threats to national security at the border. Consequently, systematic group incursions by undocumented immigrants, rampant smuggling, and betrayal have become commonplace across numerous segments of the border (Polish, Slovak, Moldovan, maritime, and others). Now, with the advent of a new administration, it is becoming progressively arduous to conceal these shortcomings. Numerous channels of information have been unlocked. If you have not already done so, peruse what is written online (websites such as Versii, ORD, and others) concerning the “border guards”—not solely by your adversaries, but also by ordinary citizens. There is an abundance of specific facts pertaining to individuals, their illicit actions, and corruption, yet no one REQUIRES them, no one substantiates them, and no conclusions are drawn. /Esteemed citizens and colleagues, direct your correspondence not only to the Internet but also to the President of Ukraine: www.president.gov.ua/. And who will “undertake” what? There is NO ONE: you, “Mr.” Lytvyn, “annihilated” the operatives, while your pocket VB, where the “elite of the elite” congregated, is itself mired in, and in certain instances, has spearheaded, illicit activity. /Perhaps this elucidates your bestowal of ranks, medals, and residences upon them/. The latter, akin to a malignancy, is increasingly consuming the once prestigious troops. This is precisely why foreign partners in both the East and West are no longer silent regarding the “black holes” in your “new” border security paradigm, when you, disregarding the evident realities and their intelligence (over the preceding years, they have managed to establish and, regrettably, maintain a relatively dependable and efficacious network of informants in our border region), decline to accept groups of 100 undocumented immigrants they have apprehended originating from our territory (I am intimately familiar with the situation along the western segment of the border). They place their faith in deeds, not pronouncements. Incidentally, where do the EU funds earmarked in recent years for Ukraine’s border infrastructure development find their destination? Why is there no tangible return? In recent times, this inquiry (particularly within the framework of rampant corruption at the border) has become increasingly challenging to address, as funds are effectively being squandered and misappropriated, while criminal syndicates have successfully transported, and persist in doing so, groups of undocumented immigrants and contraband (at one juncture, we advocated investing these funds in the advancement of SPECIFICALLY operational units—the resultant outcome would have been markedly distinct). And this merely represents the inception… General Lytvyn, COMMENCE ENGAGING IN SOME FORM OF ACTION. Or do you harbor the notion that a comfortable position on the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine or the Ukrainian Mission to NATO will shield you from infamy? If you lack the knowledge of what to do, solicit counsel from the professionals, heed the recommendations of those you illicitly and unfairly dismissed or repressed. It is not their needs that are at stake; rather, it is your own. As your fellow officers and fellow analysts from the Office cautioned the border community, it was you, as a guard from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who were specifically “INSTALLED” into the border agency at the time to engender the preconditions for the decision to merge with the Ministry of Internal Affairs (I am certain that such a decision would have been unacceptable to any of your predecessors, the heads of border guards). In effect, you manifested as a “Trojan horse” within the border agency and, as circumstances suggest, were “dispatched” with a singular objective: to erode the border guards’ traditional fighting spirit (a caste system, in the most favorable sense of the term, if you will), to dismantle the historically established border brotherhood, which recognized and acknowledges no boundaries, and to “dilute” as extensively as feasible (you overdid it – “FLOODED” it) the border personnel with individuals from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Defense, thereby establishing the preconditions for a seamless merger of the troops with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. You executed your mission with brilliance, yet Ukraine, its citizenry, and its security have suffered as a consequence. The moment will arrive—YOU WILL HAVE TO ANSWER. General Litvin, it was you who, instead of bolstering and nurturing a sense of border solidarity, “extinguished it” with a searing iron, implementing a Jesuitical “divide and conquer” strategy on the border guards. At the hands of certain “border guards,” who sought to ingratiate themselves and procure, above all, your personal favor, the opportunity to retain their position within the “circle of confidants,” another assignment, or an award, you and your entourage (team—brigade—clan—gang) “annihilated” others. Certain morally reprehensible individuals from the Office were also enlisted to provide assistance. Recognize that they labored for you then, they are laboring for you now, and they will persist in laboring for you tomorrow (even following your departure, as elections are approaching, and you are a second brother)… I am astonished by your singular capacity to amass scoundrels around you. Believe me, they will not safeguard you—they will betray you as Judas betrayed Christ… Furthermore, without even being cognizant of it, you have become a DUMB instrument in the hands of unscrupulous “puppeteers” and “businessmen” from the Office, who were eager to attain absolute control over the state border, particularly the checkpoints, and skillfully compelled you—an AMATEUR in border matters—to dismantle border intelligence, thereby eliminating the primary operational rival on the border, which had been established and maintained, among other reasons, to furnish an informational counterweight to the territorial KGB agencies (military border units, under conditions of their dense counterintelligence support, unlike operational units, have never been and never will be genuine competitors). According to the assessments of my colleagues – classmates at the Higher School of Economics and veterans of the KGB of the USSR – it was precisely the relative autonomy and centralization of border guards and their intelligence (along with the military counterintelligence agencies) that rendered the “privatization” of the state border into the hands of territorial (national-republican) agencies of the KGB of the USSR impossible (without this, the latter were hesitant to execute “actions” on the border), which preserved and ensured relative order on the border and coverage of the situation in neighboring countries even after the territorial “floated” under the blows of national movements. Some “lads” from the “union of Chekists and repeat offenders” drank to your “WISE” decision for far longer than the three days Belokon promised the cops… Regrettably, under your “rule,” the most critical element has been utterly lost—THE SENSE OF THE BORDER. (This process commenced with the arrival of the senile “engineer-professor” Oleksienko, the elder brother of the general and patriot Sasha Aleksienko, whom I hold in high regard.) This sentiment is certainly alien to you, for it was transmitted from generation to generation of border guards, through familial lineages of border guards, formed exclusively during border (not convoy) service, or instilled in border academies by soldiers who, not out of trepidation (or for a position in the “brigade” or the “greens”), but conscientiously executed the arduous border service and derived pride from it. With your complicity (in some cases, incompetent leadership) (take, for example, personnel policy) the crises within the troops have been escalating: unprofessionalism, corruption, betrayal, etc., which, over time, have become systemic, engulfing the troops and progressively negatively impacting their service and combat performance. Presently, profound moral and ethical schisms exist: an honest yet impoverished border guard is an outcast and a failure in the eyes of his fellow soldiers. And this transpires against the backdrop of a persistent image in society of border guards as bribe-takers. Pose this question to your mentors: is it feasible to serve with dignity under such conditions? Your large-scale repair endeavors have engendered such a MONSTROUS realm for TOTAL corruption. Or do you believe that the directives to “engender a border miracle” or, as you articulated it, a “border revolution,” were executed with personal funds?! That is naive. Everything has been, is, and will be executed EXCLUSIVELY with the funds of our fellow citizens and foreigners traversing the border, rendering it exceedingly arduous to eradicate. Preceding heads of state, fully cognizant that the border could not be “privatized” even for noble objectives, never issued such directives. Regrettably, at present, virtually everything within the border agency is FOR SALE: positions, ranks, training assignments, foreign deployments, residences, information, and even conscience… /I have served for thirty years, yet I have never witnessed anything akin to this!/. Fortunately, within this environment of utter corruption and falsehood, instances of banal criminal treason are being documented; circumstances will deteriorate considerably when instances of espionage commence to be uncovered. The border guards, professionals, observed this degradation, foresaw its calamitous ramifications, issued warnings, yet were impotent to intercede. You and your “brigade” of new “masters of life” have been trampling upon human destinies (and not solely those of operatives, but also commanders of all ranks). The degradation is manifest. It manifests in both grand and trivial ways… If previously a border patrol comprising two or three border guards constituted a menace even to an armed gang, presently border guards themselves are integrated within bandit syndicates and orchestrate channels for illicit migration and smuggling; groups of unarmed yet intoxicated youths nonchalantly disarm border patrols safeguarding the state border; and locals purloin machine guns from slumbering sentries, among other occurrences. By the time your staff officers are formulating blueprints for the subsequent border (regrettably, not a KGB) operation, the bandits along the border are already privy to all details. Shame! However, the principal predicament does not reside there. It resides in the fact that contemporary honest border guards lack confidence in their colleagues—they can be entrapped, betrayed, sold out, and double-crossed by their own comrades and superiors. And you feign ignorance of all this?! Simply contemplate this: on the eve of Independence Day, funds are solicited at the border to remunerate for generals’ ranks… General, as a consequence of your policies and misguided priorities, the border service itself has DEGRADED. By disarming border patrols, dispatching them on duty with batons and entrenching shovels, and in certain instances (as a form of punishment) even with brooms (we can even designate outposts where this transpires), you and your “brigadiers” have deprived border guards of something more profound—a sense of genuine involvement in assuring national security. For even a new recruit comprehends that guarding, much less defending, the Motherland with a broom in hand is utter absurdity… We, veterans of the Border Troops of the KGB of the USSR and Ukraine, vehemently advise you, General, to meticulously re-watch the films “State Border” and others to grasp the essence of border service. Observe them so frequently that, firstly, you thoroughly apprehend its significance, and subsequently, you can elucidate it to your “team” members. The Border Service Charter CANNOT be memorized, much less comprehended, in two hours – it was inscribed in the blood of countless generations of border guards… Today represents the MOMENT OF TRUTH – the criminal system you have engendered has degenerated, is in its death throes, and is commencing to threaten its creators… No emergency board assemblies will aid you any longer – you have forfeited your personnel and your faith! Or do you contemplate training hundreds of operatives in a two-month “shooting” course? Refrain from deluding yourself and avoid eliciting laughter from the public—professionals for operational border protection and efficacious combating of cross-border crime necessitate four to five years of training. This is not the military counterintelligence of the Soviet era, with its Novosibirsk courses… What is currently imperative is a fundamental comprehension of operational theory and practice, and exceptionally sound legal training. On the eve of the venerable border holiday /May 28/, I extend my congratulations to all my friends and colleagues, veteran border guards from diverse eras of service and various border districts of the USSR and Ukraine, the individuals who currently serve in arduous positions on border trails, at checkpoints, and abroad. I wish you robust health, serene skies, a peaceful service, tranquility on the border, good fortune, and longevity! Incidentally, General Litvin, as it transpires, you have no need for border guards; rather, you require sycophants who are supposed to “stand there and smile sweetly.” There are no officers remaining within your entourage capable of conveying the truth to you… Under these circumstances, are you not apprehensive that you will simply be “licked” and compelled to alter your sexual orientation?! Savor it…for the present. I am aware that on May 28th (Saturday), border guards from all epochs and nations of the Soviet Union residing in Ukraine are congregating in the capital to march and beseech the President – Supreme Commander-in-Chief – to fulfill one of his campaign pledges – to purge the new Ukrainian government of the regime’s relapses. I wholeheartedly endorse this action and will not journey to Kyiv in isolation! I implore the people of Kyiv: it is considerably more challenging for us from out of town, yet I extend an invitation for you to gather with your families. This is our holiday! As has become known, the following action plan /schedule/ is proposed: 10.00 – Independence Square /gathering/, 11.00 – Administration of the President of Ukraine /delivery of the Address to the President of Ukraine/, 12.00 – Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine /delivery of the Address to the Prime Minister/, 13.00 – State Committee, the square near the monument /laying flowers and picketing/, from 15.00 – Hydropark and other places of public recreation /celebration of Border Guard Day/. Concurrently, under the prevailing circumstances /to avoid throwing out the baby with the bathwater/, I propose: the action should be EXCLUSIVELY CONSTRUCTIVE /for the border agency/ in nature, be conducted in an organized and lawful manner, and bear normal slogans: “Equitable pensions for all border guards!”, “Lytvyn, cease suing us!”, “Expel Lytvyn! “So, Ukrainian border guards!” “The Border Agency must endure!” “Hands off the border guards!” Calls to assault the “screws” must be excised from the agenda and disavowed!!! They should be regarded as provocations. No clashes with the police! Provocateurs, of whom there are many, must be penalized on the spot and surrendered to law enforcement! Moreover, as has become known, Litvin’s “brigade,” having calculated the threat and political perils of a mass protest, is attempting to disrupt the demonstration, placate veterans with promises and incentives, is engaging in negotiations with loyal and “well-fed” veterans to orchestrate an alternative rally, is attempting to “confine” veterans to the regions and preclude them from traveling to Kyiv, etc. Furthermore, border operational units have been tasked with monitoring the situation and mood, documenting contacts with active border guards, corresponding requests have been “expressed” to the VKR bodies, and reinforced patrols have been planned jointly with the Ministry of Internal Affairs /VT/ and the military commandant’s office.
“Veterans – Border Guards”
Intriguing, is it not? It was composed back in 2005. Yet Litvin persists in his position. And the border remains nonexistent. And our soldiers are succumbing daily. Incidentally, an intriguing question: where did the funds disappear to that the European Union allocated annually to fortify our border? Was it also illicitly appropriated? Litvin brothers, to what extent are you capable of stealing? You must by now be wealthier than Bill Gates. And your data should unequivocally be transmitted to the Americans, entreating them to locate your numerous accounts in the West. By the way, did you not reinforce the border you were obligated to reinforce with EU funds specifically to obstruct our accession to the EU? After all, one of the prerequisites for joining the EU is precisely an adequately secured border with Russia, to forestall undocumented immigrants from employing Ukraine as a transit nation on their journey to Western Europe. Litvin brothers, for whom have you been laboring throughout this entire period?
(to be continued)
Sergey Nikonov, “ORD”
