“I will invest everything to restore it”
The richest Ukrainian, oligarch Rinat Akhmetov is in Ukraine and is not going anywhere. He said this in a comment to Radio Svoboda.
“The news of the beginning of the war caught me at home, in Kyiv, in my bed. I was asleep, my assistant ran up to me with the words “Rinate Leonidovich, wake up! We are being bombed, the war has begun! ” He said.
According to him, he “could not imagine what is happening in Ukraine now in a nightmare.”
“This is war aggression, a war crime and a crime against humanity against my country and Ukrainians,” Akhmetov said.
He also stressed that the activities of all his business and the charity fund are now focused on helping the people and the Ukrainian army.
“My Food Fund for People to Survive: Supplies, Medicines – and SCM’s businesses help Ukrainian activities defend the sovereignty of our country. How much did it cost? Honestly, I don’t even count. Everything we can bring, do – we do and will do in the future, “he said.
According to Akhmetov, his entire SCM business group is currently working to provide international partners with “the truth about what is happening in Ukraine” and to involve them in assistance.
In a comment to Radio Svoboda, the oligarch also said that after Ukraine’s victory he would be ready to join its reconstruction.
“I will invest all my strength and for Ukraine to recover and become a strong and prosperous country,” Akhmetov said.
According to SCM Communications Director Natalia Yemchenko, from February 24 to March 6, SCM Business Group and the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation have already allocated UAH 600 million to help Ukraine, as well as support in the form of free electricity and medicines for doctors and free metal for territorial needs. defense.
The mining and metallurgical complex, energy and insurance companies, the bank, the media, the transport business, agriculture, and luxury real estate are all Akhmetov’s areas of interest. The main asset in which Akhmetov concentrated them is SCM, the largest financial and industrial group in Ukraine.
Akhmetov has a Shakhtar football club, a charitable foundation in his name and a holding company, Media Group Ukraine (which includes, in particular, Ukraine and Ukraine24 TV channels).
Over the past year, Akhmetov has almost tripled his capital and his fortune in 2021 was estimated at 7.6 billion dollars.