Yanukovych-Era Officials Tried to Sell Ukraine’s Last Bombers on eBay, New Investigation Reveals

In a detailed report by Radio Svoboda, Ukrainian officials who approved the sale of military assets, including two strategic bombers Tu-95MS, were identified. These aircraft, once part of Ukraine’s arsenal, were sold as part of broader military asset alienation initiatives in 2011, which also included various fighter jets, helicopters, and tanks.

In 2014, one of the bombers appeared on the online auction platform eBay, listed for $3 million. However, the listing was removed following media attention. Earlier investigations revealed that the bombers were sold to a private firm for a mere $250,000 each, under unclear circumstances.

Officials Involved

The approval for the sale of the Tu-95MS bombers was spearheaded by several high-ranking officials, including:

• Viktor Baloga, then Minister for Emergency Situations, now a member of the Ukrainian Parliament.

• Inna Yemelyanova, former Deputy Minister of Justice, currently a member of the Legal Reform Commission under Ukraine’s President.

• Valeriy Muntyan, head of the Ministry of Economy’s reorganization commission at the time, who later obtained Russian citizenship and joined Russia’s state bank Vnesheconombank.

The ultimate decision to sell was formalized by the government of then-Prime Minister Mykola Azarov in August 2011.

The project to sell military assets was presented by then-Minister of Defense Mykhailo Yezhel, citing the downsizing and reform of Ukraine’s Armed Forces. The list included MiG-29, Su-24, and Su-25 jets, Mi-8 helicopters, tanks, and artillery, in addition to the bombers. Yezhel is currently wanted by Ukrainian authorities and is believed to reside in Belarus.

Further investigation highlights a 1999 agreement between Ukraine and Russia, signed by then Prime Ministers Valeriy Pustovoitenko and Vladimir Putin, which transferred 11 bombers and cruise missiles to Russia in exchange for debt relief. Critics, including legal scholars, argue this was a breach of Ukraine’s Constitution as the transfer bypassed parliamentary approval. These assets are now reportedly in use by the Russian military.

The State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) launched a case in 2015 regarding the inclusion of bombers on the list of assets for sale. The engines from these bombers were allegedly removed and illegally exported to Russia for use in the Russian Air Force. However, the case remains unresolved due to the absence of key suspects, including Yezhel.