The Russian web site Ukraina.ru published a story claiming that “the Kyiv regime is preparing to grab the rest of former president Yanukovych’s assets” and that the Ukrainian army exists on Yanukovych money.
Ukraina.ru’s alleged source for this fake story is former Presidential Administration Acting Chief of Staff Serhiy Pashynskyj.
During a parliamentary committee meeting Serhiy Pashynskyj said that 50% of Ukraine’s defense budget comes from a Special Fund created from Viktor Yanukovych’s assets. He also called on members of parliament to vote on confiscation of Yanukovych’s during their next parliamentary session.
Pashynskyj was specifically referring to the Special Fund and not the financing of the army’s operating costs.
According to Ukraine’s Budget Law for 2016 (Article 14, points12-14) Special fund monies are not used to finance the Ukrainian Army’s operating needs, but for reforms and new military technologies.
The Ukrainian budget has allocated 4.5 billion hryvnia for these needs.
Earlier Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk talked about using Yanukovych assets to modernize the Ukrainian arm and raise the social benefits of the military personnel.
