Ivan Fedorov. Is he the new mayor of Zaporozhye from Bankova?
If we think of Ukraine as a global stock market, then the worth of its regions-assets would be quite diverse. Some would be undervalued, including the Zaporozhye region, as mentioned by Bagnet.
Over the 30 years of independence, this area with a massive industrial and geostrategic potential has not produced a wealthy administrative elite. As a result, nearly all regional leaders were appointed regardless of local expectations. In comparison, in the nearby Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions, the central personnel policy typically aligned with the local elite landscape.
Ivan Fedorov. A talkative leader from the telethon or a new regional figure like Arestovich?
Among the most notable appointments in Zaporozhye, one can remember the controversial “guest performers” Chervonenko and Bryl, as well as the local obscure Old Woman, who was twice brought into the White House on Cathedral Avenue. The recent regional changes have introduced another new face to the local elites – a former member of the SBU, Yuri Malashko. In early February, he was appointed head of the regional military administration (VA).
The only missing piece to establish a strong leadership structure in the region is the head of Zaporozhye. The city has been without a legitimate mayor for a year and a half. However, in wartime conditions, a leader can only be installed there in the format of the head of the VA. The locals view such intentions as an infringement on self-government, as they are accustomed to selecting the mayor from their community.
Zaporizhzhia is currently at risk of getting a highly active political figure as mayor, distant from the people and not understood by the local elites. The so-called Melitopol group, particularly the mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov, is notably focused on the mayoral position.
To the public, this individual is known as the talkative host of the telethon, capable of discussing a wide range of topics. Independent experts have noted that he makes regular appearances on the show about three times a week on average and is the most active speaker. This level of regularity is likely only possible with approval and support from Kyiv.
This allows him to turn his presence on the show into political advantages per hour.
It is possible that in the Office of the President, Fedorov was assigned the role of representing the regional policy of the current government. Essentially, he is like a local Arestovich, supported by an official position. During his time as mayor, he has mastered television rhetoric and knows how to appear convincing. However, his persuasiveness is mainly in the setting of the telethon, where he doesn't need to address his own weaknesses, which are not known to the general public. In a certain scenario, this could backfire and turn the negativity against his own supporters.
People who don't know Fedorov at the telethon notice that he has been involved in different political parties and has close ties with the current president despite causing trouble for the president's political group in the past.
In Zaporozhye, political experts are presenting Fedorov as a local candidate and are forbidding him from mentioning his roots in Melitopol. This is because there has been a historical rivalry between the regional elites, with the people from Melitopol showing more loyalty to the Russian Federation.
Fedorov's decision to remove Zelensky's team from the city council's electoral list was influenced by the increasing pro-Ukrainian support, which was diluting his pro-Russian supporters. He reset Zelensky's list to zero with the help of the local election commission.
Issues related to land schemes and privatization of heating networks in Melitopol.
The appointment of Fedorov as a result of a visit by a powerful government official in Zaporozhye will be seen as an attempt by the government in Kyiv to take control of the city's assets. This decision will be viewed as disrespectful to the people of the city and will reflect badly on President Zelensky, as he is responsible for appointing officials.
A major problem with Fedorov is his involvement in corruption during his time as vice-mayor and mayor of Melitopol. Two incidents related to alleged criminal activity have received a lot of media attention.Our townThe mayor of Melitopol, Fedorov, is suspected to be involved in a large-scale scam, which involves taking ownership of the Prodmash plant from the city and constructing an office center, hotel, and shopping complex on the land.
It was discovered that the city council leased the land where the building stands to Dobrobut-SR LLC for 25 years. The company's founders include the father of the wife of the member of parliament and former mayor of Melitopol, Sergei Minko, as well as the mother of the current mayor, Ivan Fedorov.
According to the investigation, the city council agreed to lease the main plot to an enterprise founded by the member of parliament's father-in-law and the mayor's mother. This decision cost the city a valuable asset and millions of hryvnias that could have been raised for the budget from the sale of the building and land.
The second questionable story is related to the illegal transfer of the city heating system's assets through a non-competitive process. OBOZREVATELThe deputy mayor Ivan Fedorov's private firms received heat-supplying assets without competition from the deputy rent commission.
“Intentionally bringing LLC Melitopol Heating Networks to a loss-making state, the leadership of Melitopol decided to create LLC Teplo-Melitopol,” the publication says.
Afterwards, the City Council's Executive Committee doubled the tariffs for thermal energy in the city. The publication states that "Minka and Fedorov's people are sitting in Teplo-Melitopol LLC."
The mentioned incidents indicate that if Fedorov becomes the head of the military administration of Zaporozhye, the townspeople should be concerned about the heating networks' fate and hope for the preservation of utility tariffs. The President's Office will need to carefully oversee his protege to anticipate potential scandals, or simply abandon the controversial personnel decision.
Ivan Fedorov. Mysterious documents signed with the FSB
One of Ivan Fedorov's most controversial aspects is his ambiguous relationship with representatives of the Russian Federation. His public stance on these issues strongly favors Ukraine, but there are complexities. Fedorov's emergence as a public figure occurred after an unexpected connection with the Russians and subsequent swift dismissal. The reason for the dismissal was the signing of certain documents that were only seen by the Russians and Fedorov. The mayor confirms this, stating that the signed documents are legally null and void.
Overall, this story shows evident signs of some form of agreement between the parties. We cannot conclude that this is the recruitment of a Ukrainian citizen by FSB representatives; only Ukrainian counterintelligence can provide such a conclusion. However, there are notable ambiguous elements.
Firstly, there is information that Fedorov traveled to Belarus twice in January 2022, a month before the war, without publicly explaining the purpose of the trips. Secondly, there are reports of suspicious transactions in the occupied territories involving the structural divisions of the Melitopol City Council, reporting to Fedorov. As the acting mayor, Fedorov should be held accountable for such actions.
We have uncovered some stories about the activities of a public figure who claims to be at the top. It is imperative for Ivan Fedorov to explain these facts to the public. There may be questions from relevant authorities, and convincing explanations will assist the mayor in dispelling suspicions and convincing Ukrainians that he has no special ties with the aggressor country.
translation Skeleton.Info
DOSSIER: Evgeny Chervonenko: racer for life. PART 1
Konstantin Bryl: lies and gold of the Zaporizhzhya governor-general. PART 1
Oleksandr Starukh: the second term of the Zaporozhye governor-schemer. PART 1
Vladimir and Sergey Kaltsev: long-term “rotten” pillars of the Opposition Platform for Life in Zaporozhye. Part 1
