Day 1380
The big news yesterday was the release of Ruslan Magamedrasulov, the detective from Ukraine’s National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), from pre-trial confinement, where he spent 145 days1.
Ruslan was involved in Operation Midas, the investigation of back-office shenanigans involving the President’s Office. Detectives collected over 1,000 hours of recordings documenting kickback schemes.
Also, another court in Kyiv eased pre-trial confinement for Roman Chervinsky from 24-hour house arrest to nighttime house arrest. Roman was involved in Operation Avenue, also known as Wagnergate—a Ukrainian special services mission to entrap and detain mercenaries of the Wagner Group, including those possibly involved in the downing of a Ukrainian IL-76 transport aircraft and Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.
Roman explains below the role played by Z’s former chief of staff Andriy Yermak in cancelling that op and failing to prepare the country for Russia’s all-out invasion in early 2022.
Foreign flaks, actors, local English-language editors and history professors abroad are still in a slobbering love affair with Z. They might recall that the president in January 19, 2022 asked us to think about barbecues when the weather turned warmer in May. That was two weeks after CIA Director William Burns traveled to Kyiv and showed him Russia’s plans to decapitate the capital2.
Operation Midas and Operation Avenue exposed the rot at the heart of Z’s presidency that foreign media have tried to ignore. Kickbacks, canceled ops, and ignored CIA warnings—none of it matters when you’ve got a green t-shirt and good lighting. For Z, the teleprompt has been what’s most important.
Ditto for Trump.
In other news, Ukraine’s military is fighting Ukraine’s military for dibs on a sanatorium outside of Kyiv.
Sigh.
Supporters of Ukraine Anti-Corruption Investigator Call His Jailing Absurd. The case of a detective who activists say was investigating close associates of President Volodymyr Zelensky is seen as a bellwether (The New York Times, September 12, 2025)