Patriotism as a business project: Why is Lviv RMA head fighting Church?

How are the fight against the Church and corruption connected? Photo: UOJ

On 29 November 2024, Maksym Kozytsky, the head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration (RMA), triumphantly reported the "completion of the struggle" against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). According to him, the region has been cleared of religious communities subordinated to the Moscow Patriarchate.

He also announced that "the Lviv Oblast has become the first region in Ukraine where there are no registered religious communities of the ROCU." Kozytsky further wrote that "manipulation and deceit" have no future, stating that "there are only two paths – truth or lies, and truth will inevitably prevail!" Well, here we agree with Kozytsky. And precisely because of this, we will show what lies ahead for Maksym Kozytsky when the truth finally prevails in Ukraine. We will also lift the veil on what is really happening in the Lviv RMA and why Kozytsky could be considered an expert on falsehoods and manipulations.

Humanitarian aid and Kozytsky

It has long been observed that those who shout the loudest about patriotism are often the ones with the least clear conscience. The more a person is involved in corrupt schemes, the more often they declare their love for Ukraine. Specifically, when it comes to Kozytsky, the scandals that involve the regional leadership tend to revolve around humanitarian aid, defense supplies, and infrastructure projects.

It is no secret that for many Ukrainian officials (especially those in the Lviv region), "humanitarian aid" has become a significant source of personal wealth and, perhaps, a favored method of enrichment.

Since the beginning of Russia's war against Ukraine, Lviv has become a key transit point for humanitarian aid. And almost immediately, shocking cases of theft began to emerge.

For instance, in 2022, it was revealed that bulletproof vests worth 25 million hryvnias, imported under the guise of humanitarian aid, were sold in the "black market." This is not just corruption – it is an attack on Ukraine's defenders. What makes it particularly cynical is that this harm was inflicted by those who consider themselves the most "patriotic" Ukrainians.

In 2023, it was again revealed that part of the humanitarian aid sent from the United States went missing in Lviv. Everything happened in a banal and cynical way. On 14 October, a container with humanitarian aid, including gas masks, winter clothing, footwear, and 9,700 military IFAK first-aid kits worth $1.1 million, was sent from the United States to Ukraine. However, by 8 November, American donors discovered that the aid had not reached its intended partner, the "Volunteer and Defense Centre," which works with the Lviv authorities.

The Lviv Regional Military Administration (LRMA) confirmed receipt of only a small part of the cargo and denied that any tactical first-aid kits were included. The promised transfer documents were never provided. An investigation showed that the container was registered by Polish customs, but allegedly never crossed the border on the Ukrainian side. However, part of the cargo ended up in LRMA’s warehouse, and the rest disappeared. In other words, of the tactical first-aid kits (the most valuable part of the cargo), worth 34 million hryvnias, only a small portion was found in the warehouse, and the rest remains unaccounted for.

The fate of the missing items is unknown to investigators but not to journalists, who reported that "this mysterious case clearly points to the Lviv Regional Military Administration and several charitable foundations it works with." And journalists know what they are talking about. The person who promised to get to the bottom of this situation was Kozytsky's deputy, Yuriy Kholod, who ultimately did nothing. He did nothing because the distribution of humanitarian aid was handled by his colleague, Oleksiy Shevchuk. When he was asked about the fate of the first-aid kits worth half a million dollars, he refused to answer. Why? Because it’s a "state secret". And these are just two examples that have come to light through the efforts of interested parties. There is little doubt that the scale of the theft is much larger.

The most expensive road in Ukraine and Kozytsky

It turns out that in 2023, in the midst of the war, the most expensive road construction project in Ukraine was carried out in the Lviv region. This concerns the scandal surrounding the repair of Horna Street in the village of Skhidnytsia.

A project that in 2021 was supposed to cost 12 million hryvnias suddenly soared to 25 million hryvnias after the war began, with the money being allocated from the Lviv regional budget. So, where does this road lead, considering the huge cost and the fact that it must have strategic significance? The answer is simple: this road leads to an elite entertainment center owned by Maksym Kozytsky’s father, Zinoviy Kozytsky.

In other words, the funds that could have been used for military needs, for the displaced persons, or simply for the residents of the region, were instead channeled to improve the living conditions of one family – the Kozytskys.

Gazprom and Kozytsky

But all these schemes are just the "tip of the iceberg" compared to what the Kozytsky family is actually involved in. Zinoviy Kozytsky is a Lviv-based oil and gas oligarch linked to the Russian giant Gazprom, and his business is effectively protected by his son Maksym, who uses administrative resources for this.

Of course, Zinoviy Kozytsky is not so foolish as to work directly with Gazprom. He does so through his long-time partner, Karel Komarek, a Czech oligarch who is closely connected to Russian business.

Furthermore, Karel Komarek, in partnership with the Kozytsky family, has been involved in exploring gas fields in the Poltava region during the war. For instance, Horizonty LLC, which handles preparatory work for exploratory drilling at gas fields in the Poltava region, is 20% owned by the Kozytskys and 80% by Komarek. Moreover, Komarek's company, Moravia Gas Storage, manages underground gas storage facilities in the Czech Republic in partnership with Gazprom. Komarek himself continues to own an oil terminal in Samara, which, in 2018, supplied fuel to the occupied territories of Donbas (LDNR).

All these facts point to a direct connection between Kozytsky's business interests and the Czech oligarch, and, indirectly, to Russian structures. Can you imagine what would happen if the person in question weren’t a “true patriot” like Kozytsky, but simply an ordinary Ukrainian? But for Zinoviy Kozytsky, everything goes unpunished. And it’s not because he “loves Ukraine” so much, but because his son is protecting his business interests.

And it’s not just protection – Maksym Kozytsky is also helping his father’s business “win” state tenders. For example, the drilling company Horyzonty has received over 7 billion hryvnias since 2017, despite repeatedly starting work even before contracts were signed, as happened with the Verkhmaslovetske gas field. So, the road that cost 25 million is just a small matter in comparison.

Meanwhile, in Lviv, the issue of garbage dumps remains a major concern, devastating the region. Overcrowded landfills are creating an ecological threat. In some areas, waste hasn’t been collected for weeks, and the construction of a waste processing plant keeps getting delayed indefinitely. Perhaps, the kickback scheme for “patriots” hasn’t been fully worked out yet…

Instead of tackling the real problems in the region, Kozytsky prefers to engage in populism, boasting about his “achievements” in the fight against the Church. This is nothing new. But what’s really behind it?

Why the Church?

Kozitsky presents the closure of UOC churches as a “victory of patriotism” and writes that he “sincerely hopes that religious communities of the Moscow Patriarchate in other regions of our state will not wait for the implementation of the provisions of the Law of Ukraine on 'Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Activities of Religious Organizations' and will finally break their ties with the structure of the bloody Moscow priests.”

Given the corruption schemes, it's hard to believe in Kozytsky’s sincerity. What’s more believable is that he is trying to distract from the real issue – corruption. The fight against the Church in Ukraine has long been a convenient tool for crude political PR. Actions like the ban of UOC religious communities turn into loud media campaigns that deflect attention from more significant issues. When examined closely, this “battle” appears to be a way of covering up the unwillingness to solve pressing regional or national problems, or a means to profit from access to state resources.

In this situation, the fight against the Church is used as a smokescreen for more comfortable looting of the budget – nothing more. Moreover, in the Kozytsky case, there’s a clear correlation between the fight against the Church and corruption.

Lviv – the most corrupt region

And these are not just empty words. For instance, in 2023 alone, the most egregious corruption cases were opened in the Lviv region. This data was published by the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NAPC) on its website. From 1 January 1 to 25 December 2023, the NAPC recorded a total of 3,045 entries in the Unified State Register of Persons who committed corruption or corruption-related offences. Of these, 243 were from the Lviv region, 216 of which were based on court rulings.

So, it turns out that the region with no UOC churches is the most corrupt in the country! Coincidence? We don't think so.

This is simply because we all know exactly what’s behind Kozytsky's fight against the Church – fake patriotism, which has already become a strategy for those in power. This strategy is simple and has been tested many times: instead of addressing real issues, shout about fighting "Moscow influence". In the process, the interests of society take a backseat to petty calculations and personal gain.

And the problem is not only with Kozytsky or those officials who use their embroidered shirts to cover up embezzlement and corruption but with those so-called “patriots” who lecture the entire country on how to "properly love the Homeland". Remember how, at the beginning of the war, the same residents of Lviv who are now outraged by the “lack of patriotism” in other parts of Ukraine, drove up housing prices. Not because they wanted to “earn” from other people's suffering, but because they are willing to "love Ukraine" only for a substantial amount of money.

Therefore, the more Kozytsky screams about “patriotism”, the more we understand that he is using it as a business project. And also, he is afraid. Afraid of being held accountable for his actions because he knows: sooner or later, he will have to answer. And not just to the people but to God.

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