Maria Zakharova, the official spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, made strong assessments of the Kyiv authorities while in Vladivostok for the Eastern Economic Forum.
Speaking at a briefing on September 1, Zakharova said that the Kyiv authorities had turned into a “genuine terrorist caliphate.” During her assessment, the Russian official compared them with ISIS, which was previously banned in Russia.
Accusations against the Kyiv authorities
Zakharova claimed that “a special kind of banditry” had merged with state governance in Ukraine. In her view, corruption, terrorism, a lack of oversight and legal nihilism had come together within the same governing structure.
The Russian Foreign Ministry official linked these assessments to the new corruption scandal under discussion in Kyiv. Zakharova said these developments should be considered together with other events.
Investigation and decree in Ukraine
In August, Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau released audio recordings as part of an investigation into an alleged criminal organization involving lawmakers and officials. The recordings named Irina Mudraya, who served as a deputy head in Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office.
Zelenskyy later signed a decree dismissing Mudraya.
Eastern Economic Forum program
The Eastern Economic Forum is being held in Vladivostok, Russia, from September 1 to 4.