In April 2024, a scandalous event occurred in Zaporozhye: the secretary of the city council, Anatoly Kurtev, turned to the President with a request to create a military administration in the city. Why? Because, according to him, the head of the regional military administration is trying to seize power in Zaporozhye.
However, instead of supporting Kurtev, city council deputies unanimously voted for his resignation. This caused a political commotion and not without reason, since Kurtev’s story is the same scheme for seizing power, starting with part-time work in a morgue and ending with the active robbery of the city and people.
Anatoly Kurtev, secretary of the Zaporozhye city council, at first glance seems to be a typical official like the hero from the series “Servant of the People.” His declaration is like the archetype of the Ukrainian little official:
- a modest house in an industrial area,
- an apartment given by my mother,
- several plots of land that were inherited by will.
At first glance, nothing unusual. Where did the money come from that NABU detectives found during a search of his apartment? In a rented luxury apartment in the city center.
It was a real find: more than 9 million hryvnia, 600 thousand UAH, 230 thousand dollars and 650 euros in cash - all this lay right under the nose of the city secretary. Naturally, there was not a word about this in his declaration.
The story turned out to be even more interesting when it turned out that this money could be associated with humanitarian aid intended for residents of front-line Zaporozhye.
According to NABU, officials led by Anatoly were involved in large-scale theft of humanitarian aid that came to the region from international partners. Almost immediately after the start of Russian aggression, they took credit for entire containers and wagons with humanitarian goods and then sold them through their channels.
- 22 sea containers,
- 389 railway cars,
- 220 trucks with humanitarian aid from Europe.
Afterwards, this particular humanitarian aid was seen on the shelves of Ukrainian pharmacies and supermarkets.
How is it possible that Kurtev managed to remain at the head of Zaporozhye for two whole years after it became known about his participation in the theft of humanitarian aid? And what’s even stranger is why neither NABU nor the police informed him of the suspicion?
What did Anatoly Kurtev spend on the city budget?
Firstly, 1.2 million hryvnias, which Kurtev used to repair basements, disappeared. The tender was held in such a way that the company “Installation Systems” won, and when this failed, they simply canceled it and announced a new one, where the people they needed had already won.
Secondly, a million hryvnia was spent on “Shelter” signs, ordered from an individual entrepreneur who registered just three months before receiving this contract.
In parallel with this, funds were spent on cobblestone pavements, expensive coffee machines for officials, and even the functioning of a non-functioning airport.
Thirdly, the money was spent on rebuilding houses damaged by missile attacks. However, prices for materials and work were inflated by millions of hryvnia, and Kurtev himself argued that restoration was more expensive than new construction.
And finally, the creation of the “Municipal Guard”, on which 10 million hryvnia were spent, but they never received a license for security activities. Apparently, the main goal was not security, but the use of budget funds.
The situation only causes irritation and bewilderment. Instead of using the city budget to support the population during the war, Kurtev and his team carried out dubious transactions that only increased corruption.
Some deputies even decided to leave their posts early in protest against Kurtev’s arbitrariness.
Kurtev family connections
The Kurtev brothers seem to share his very specific views. One of the brothers, Viktor, went to occupied Crimea and took Russian citizenship immediately after the annexation.
Another brother, Alexander, lives in Ukraine, but his sympathies for the past Soviet Union are clear on his social media. Anatoly Kurtev himself has repeatedly expressed gratitude to the foundation owned by the pro-Russian oligarch and publicly supported the Russians.
In the end, the punishment for Anatoly in the form of simple resignation from office during the war seems too lenient.
