My name is Kyrylo Shevchenko. I am the former Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine. A horrifying assassination attempt on a Ukrainian businessman in Monaco has shocked the world. His companion had both legs blown off in the explosion, while he and his son were hospitalized. But the story has an even darker continuation: the bomb was planted by a Ukrainian woman who was receiving payments from an officer of Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate under the Ministry of Defense, known as HUR. Upon her return to Ukraine on July 1, that same officer shot her in the head. The entire case was "investigated" and closed in just a few days. Watching this unfold like a scene from a mafia thriller, I am reminded of the direct threats I myself have received from Ukrainian security services, including kidnapping warnings. It is becoming clear that Zelensky's regime is prepared to use any means against its opponents. Behind this system stands not only Zelensky himself, but also the man long known as the "grey cardinal" of his office — Andriy Yermak. Until recently nearly all-powerful, controlling appointments across ministries, security agencies, and the military, Yermak formally resigned in late November 2025 amid the corruption scandal surrounding Energoatom, and later became a suspect in a money-laundering case. But the system he built — as Ukrainian lawmakers themselves have acknowledged — did not disappear along with his departure from office. This case raises serious questions: How did a woman wanted by Interpol cross into Ukraine without assistance from the security services? And how was such a high-profile investigation completed in a matter of days? For comparison, the legendary Ukrainian journalist Georgiy Gongadze was murdered in 2000, and the investigation still has not named those responsible. Yet here, the intelligence officer quickly confesses, claims he acted alone, and says his leadership knew nothing. This is convenient. The main witness and perpetrator is now dead and cannot speak. I do not own a major, attractive business, but as Governor of the National Bank, I crossed a line: I refused to allow the money printing that would have hurt Ukraine in 2022, and I blocked a sponsorship scheme linked to Zelensky's inner circle. For that, I now face a fabricated criminal case in both Ukraine and Austria. I am grateful to Austria, where I am currently located, for protecting me from threats by Ukrainian security services. I appeal to the civilized world and to Europe: by continuing to turn a blind eye to what is happening, you are condemning other Ukrainians to fear, persecution, and — God forbid — elimination at the hands of Zelensky's regime. This regime has already crossed the psychological threshold of murder. This cannot end well — neither for us, nor for you.
