Ukraine charges DPR leader Pushilin over 700 million hryvnia metal theft
Photo: Denis Pushilin, leader of the DPR (kremlin.ru)
The leader of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) has been charged with a new crime by Ukrainian law enforcement. He ordered the removal of metal worth over 700 million hryvnias from the port of Mariupol, according to the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
The prosecution did not name the individual, but it is clearly referring to Denis Pushilin.
Investigators found that in 2022, after the occupation of Mariupol, the DPR leader instructed the administration of the Mariupol port to organize the removal of metal produced by the Azovstal and Ilyich plants. These were metal products shipped by the enterprises to a purchasing company.
"The total weight of the appropriated metal was nearly 30,000 tons, with a market value of over 700 million hryvnias. At the same time, the fake top official was aware that these products were not dual-use goods and could not be used for military purposes," the Prosecutor’s Office noted.
He has now been notified of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 28, and Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the laws and customs of war).
Suspicion against Pushilin
In 2024, Ukrainian law enforcement also reported suspicion against DPR leader Denis Pushilin. According to authorities, Pushilin organized mass falsifications during the fake elections of Russian leader Vladimir Putin in the temporarily occupied parts of the Donetsk region.
