Zelenskyy’s crisis is linked to murder of Portnov, mastermind of Zelenskyy-Yermak vertical, - media
The crisis in which Ukraine's leadership suddenly found itself is related to the loss of Andriy Portnov, who was killed in Spain on May 21, 2025. At the same time, he was replaced in politics by other similar figures.
This is stated in an article published by Ukrainska Pravda, as reported by Censor.NET.
Several UP interlocutors in the security sector note that immediately after the murder, there was talk in political circles that Zelenskyy's inner circle had lost its brain trust, and that Tatarov was not only a close friend but also a major influence on the situation in the country.
"Oleh will never be as influential as he used to be," emphasized one of Zelenskyy's security officials, Yermak, at the time.
At the same time, Tatarov was not the author of the scheme to eliminate the independence of NABU and SAPO, but he joined in at the final stage of the operation when the votes of MPs were needed.
"Some interlocutors in law enforcement agencies, both independent and dependent on the OP, argue that Portnov has been replaced in the country's political life by other talented lawyers led by former deputy military prosecutor Dmytro Borzykh," the article says.
Dmytro Borzykh and Ruslan Kravchenko have known each other well since serving together in the military prosecutor's office. Both worked under the leadership of Chief Military Prosecutor Anatolii Matios and belonged to the so-called "Matios Guard" – a group of prosecutors who played an important role in the trials of 2014–2019.
After leaving the prosecutor's office, he went into private practice and founded a law firm specializing in high-profile cases, particularly those involving law enforcement officials, government officials, and the judicial system.
According to UP sources, after his appointment as prosecutor general, Ruslan Kravchenko considered Borzykh as a candidate for one of the top positions in his team.
However, the implementation of this plan was hampered by suspicions announced by NABU and SAPO in April 2025 in connection with a case involving illegal access to the closed part of the court register.
"According to the investigation, Borzykh and his colleagues used a special script to systematically obtain information about classified court decisions, including searches, before they became available to the parties. Despite this, according to sources, Borzykh remained an informal advisor to the prosecutor general," the publication writes, adding that Borzykh is named as a possible consultant on draft law No. 12414.
Ruslan Kravchenko responded to a request from UP with the following statement: "Yes, I am acquainted with Dmytro Borzykh, he held the position of Deputy Chief Military Prosecutor during the period when I was also serving in the prosecutor's office. Dmytro Borzykh was never considered for the position of Deputy Prosecutor General, regardless of his personal circumstances. As for communication, I do not maintain any relations with him, just as I do not with Anatolii Matios." However, the request did not contain any questions about his ties to the former head of the military prosecutor's office.
