"Absolutely comfortable atmosphere has been created where everyone is on take," Nikolov says of Zelenskyy and Yermak’s corruption system. VIDEO

In Ukraine, a model of governance has been built in which top managers are appointed not to develop sectors, but to administer corrupt financial flows. As reported by Censor.NET, this harsh assessment of the current authorities was voiced by well-known investigative journalist Yurii Nikolov.

According to him, even before the full-scale invasion, the president’s inner circle had formed a community operating according to the principles of mafia structures.

Key points from the investigator:

Vertical of "cashiers": Zelenskyy and Yermak built a top management network in such a way that it functions as "tax collectors" in their respective spheres (energy, infrastructure, procurement). The primary task is to accumulate shadow funds.
Code of "Omertà": The entire system is based on mutual cover-up and silence. Participants gain access to resources ("a comfortable atmosphere for siphoning off funds") in exchange for loyalty and non-disclosure of schemes.
Punishment for "partisan behavior": Within Zelenskyy’s team, only one thing is not tolerated — when a person steals exclusively "for their own pocket" without reporting to the vertical. This is perceived as a betrayal of corporate interests.

The scale of the criminal structure

Nikolov recalled the words of the head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), Oleksandr Klymenko, who, during the investigation into the case of "envelope salaries" for MPs from Servant of the People, stated:

"If we had a normal Prosecutor General, we would have long since shut down the entire Verkhovna Rada."

According to the journalist, this quote best illustrates the scale of the corruption network that has permeated the highest echelons of power. Despite the war, the atmosphere of "facilitated corruption" has not disappeared, but has merely adapted to new conditions.