Serhiy Leshchenko: The Firtash octopus
Dmytro Firtash, one of Ukraine's most influential oligarchs attends a trial on April 30, 2015 in Vienna.
Oligarchs were the main beneficiaries of Viktor Yanukovych's authoritarian regime in Ukraine. Yet they didn't vanish into thin air after the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity a year and a half ago. The oligarchs may have lost the patronage of Yanukovych, who helped them acquire their vast fortunes. However, Yanukovych also creamed off some of their profits and shares in stocks in exchange and so, after his demise, they had a free hand to operate without having to share their profits with anyone.
