Drug business of Illya Kyva in the ATO zone: Law enforcement is overwhelmed with witness testimonies

Drug business of Illya Kyva in the ATO zone: Law enforcement is overwhelmed with witness testimonies

War — a time for heroes and entrepreneurs. While the former confront Russian occupiers, the latter use the status of a combat participant as a ticket to big business and big politics.

At one time, everyone rushed to Donbas for the status of a combat participant (SCP) — to either make money or take photos in new camouflage "as if they fought." Although the "tourist flow" to the war has long subsided, the fame of the "combat exploits" of former adventurers still lives on. The brightest example of this is the current MP from the Opposition Platform — For Life (OPFL) party, Illya Kyva. His service ended 5 years ago, but it continues to be surrounded by more and more unsavory details.

Kyva spent only a year in the ATO zone — from 2014 to 2015. He became a major and headed the special police patrol battalion "Poltavshchyna," created on the basis of the "Poltava" battalion and two companies — "Kremenchuk" and "Myrnyi." Fighters, among whom were former militiamen, did not accept the commander without experience in law enforcement agencies and even without military service. The only thing Kyva had at that time was a conviction for a bribe. Almost 70 soldiers filed reports, the battalion picketed the regional prosecutor’s office, and even staged a protest rally in Kyiv. "Poltavshchyna" never had a chance to prove itself in action: the commander faced entirely different tasks, and the battalion was disbanded within 3 months. It was needed by Kyva for three purposes: PR, business, and physical protection. Skilled at attracting attention, the ex-commander would enthusiastically discuss discipline, but in fact, sadism and abuse of soldiers. Under the protection of a personal army, he purportedly personally «evacuated» one and a half thousand residents of Debaltseve, for which he even received the rank of colonel. However, according to volunteers who hired transport at their own expense to remove children, women, and the elderly, there is no confirmation of Kyva’s heroism. 

Kyva used his position as a commander as a stepping stone: he met local "elites" and expanded useful contacts. Very soon he got close to the local criminal underworld and its protective top in the law enforcement agencies of the Donetsk region. As recently revealed by veteran Mykhailo Mayman, who served under Kyva, in 2015, Kiva and the head of the Donetsk Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Vyacheslav Abroskin, divided the region’s influence. The commander got the drug trafficking, while the Ministry of Internal Affairs maintained control over smuggling. The scale of illegal drug trafficking between the territories controlled by Ukraine and ORDLO is difficult to estimate even theoretically. Media calculated that in 2014-2015, up to 50 kilograms of cocaine, up to half a ton of heroin, 300-400 kilograms of synthetic drugs, and 2-3 tons of marijuana were transported across the front line every month. Illya Kyva ensured the unhindered transportation of these goods. According to comrades-in-arms, the commander himself regularly "tested the goods." "He would come there every morning with his white sniffed nose," Mayman recalled. Simple arithmetic: over the year, about 50 tons of narcotic substances worth tens, if not hundreds, of millions of hryvnias passed through Kyva. 

Kyva’s income led to his downfall. In addition to controlling drug trafficking, the commander wanted to control smuggling at any cost. According to one version, this was the reason for the conflict between Abroskin and Kyva, who was later transferred to work in the Kherson region. During this period, Kyva got close to a local criminal authority, Vova Ushastyi (Volodymyr Ivankov). He was the "watchman" from the commander. According to the media, during Yanukovych’s presidency, Vova Ushastyi ran underground casinos in Donbas, and with the beginning of the ATO, he became the head of smuggling flows in Artemivsk. As a result, no vehicle could cross the demarcation line without Kyva’s personal permission. Refusal to pay a bribe was severely punished. "In 2015, I refused to allow cars through the checkpoint in Donbas that did not pay him (Illya Kyva — ed.) a tribute of 100 thousand hryvnias for passage. He oversaw all of this. I was subordinate to the deputy battalion commander, and Kyva was the curator of our battalion," Mayman is quoted by Gordon.ua. According to our sources, Kyva’s involvement in drug dealing and smuggling is confirmed by numerous testimonies: former comrades-in-arms, as well as civilians, are massively filing complaints to the police and the State Bureau of Investigation, claiming that Ilya Kyva established regular drug supplies between the free and occupied territories. In the near future, this information may be revealed in the context of a pre-trial investigation. "Kyva lived with us in the battalion, afraid of being beaten or kidnapped, we protected him with the entire battalion, he rode with us to checkpoints, we controlled for smuggling, and he controlled that it was there. He had a serious business there," recalls Mayman. 

Abroskin did not tolerate competition, and Kyva was transferred first to Kherson, then to Kyiv. In the capital, the ex-commander headed the department for combating drug crime in the National Police of Ukraine. In his new status, Kyva continued to shock the public and cover up the drug market. The head of the department would tell journalists about the drugs he used, prepare "synthetics" right on live TV, and suggested introducing criminal liability for drug use. With his left hand, the department head organized scandalous raids on nightclubs, like Closer, while with his right hand, he slowed down investigations against major manufacturers and suppliers. "Off-camera, department employees say: criminal cases against laboratories and larger dealers repeatedly stalled precisely at the level of the department head, often got lost, and in rare cases, reached court," reports From.ua. 

Even after his dismissal, Kyva did not lose his influence on the drug market. In September 2019, he found himself at the center of a scandal surrounding the international drug syndicate "Khimprom." The cartel operated in Russia, but after mass arrests, the bosses of the group moved to Ukraine. According to the investigation, this happened just during the time when Ilya Kyva headed the relevant department. The syndicate operates several laboratories, and substances are sold via Telegram bots. Annual turnover amounts to tens of millions of dollars. Media reported that Kyva allegedly received $500,000 from the head of "Khimprom," Yehor Burkin — for lobbying interests in the Verkhovna Rada and exerting pressure on the prosecution. For this money, Kyva was supposed to secure the dismissal or suspension of the prosecutor in the cartel case, Roman Zarichanskyi. Later, information appeared online that Kyva threatened GPU employees and sent a deputy appeal to the General Prosecutor demanding the dismissal of the prosecutor disliked by the cartel on the grounds that he supposedly "assists in illegal activities" of the syndicate and exerts pressure on judges.

Now, Illya Kyva is fighting against the legalization of the gambling business initiated by the president. This has already led to the closure of about 8,000 underground casinos and gaming halls, where drugs are also distributed. "He established control over small drug labs and drug distribution in nightclubs and gaming halls. Using the title of head anti-drug enforcer, Kyva forced nightclubs across the country to distribute substances among visitors. There are many testimonies from witnesses and victims that will be made public over time," writes Golos.ua. He also actively fought for the preservation of parliamentary immunity — understanding that sooner or later he would have to answer for his deeds. 

A year of PR in the ATO and another year of "intensive" work in the drug department ensured Kyva’s income for years to come. Money loves silence, and Illya Kyva skillfully directs public attention to his inadequate behavior. Thousands of social media users discuss his statements and indecent antics, but few question who he really is and where the money for his security, armored convoy, and overseas vacations comes from. Sooner or later, law enforcement agencies will have to provide answers.