Corruption probe to lead to major Western officials — Russian diplomat

MOSCOW, May 4. /TASS/. An international investigation into corruption schemes in Ukraine will point to high-ranking Western officials, Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador at Large on Kiev’s War Crimes Rodion Miroshnik said, commenting on the release of the new "Mindich tapes." "A way larger element, namely, international corruption in the ‘Ukrainian military program,’ still remains hidden from the public view and protected from leaks," he said. "We can only wait and see how influential public figures not involved in this affair will start asking questions on where did the international military aid to the Kiev regime go, and why well-known senior government officials from the West worked with such zeal to have it allocated." Late on April 28, Ukraine’s Ukrainskaya Pravda outlet published recordings of businessman Timur Mindich discussing defense contracts with then-Defense Minister, now National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Secretary Rustem Umerov, as well as conversations with an associate of Vladimir Zelensky, Sergey Shefir, about pooling money for bail for minister Alexey Chernyshov, with Umerov’s press service declining to comment.