Ukrainian energy giant DTEK, which is owned by Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov, says Andriy Smirnov, who participated in a meeting of Russia`s ”Inter-ministerial Commission for the Provision of Humanitarian Aid for the affected Areas in the Southeast of the Regions of Donetsk and Luhansk,” has been cooperating with DTEK company as an advisor, Ukrainian online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda reported.
”Andriy Smirnov is indeed a former director of coal mining business at DTEK. Currently, he is not working in Ukraine, and cooperates with the head of our Russian-based coal entity – PJSC Obukhovskaya Mine, which is located in Rostov region of the Russian Federation, as an advisor,” said Yulia Shilina, Communications Director at DTEK.
According to Shilina, Smirnov`s participation in any Russian government meetings is possible in the framework of cooperation with the Russian Energy Ministry that governs the coal industry.
”It is worth noting that DTEK employees are involved as experts in the energy field in the framework of the Minsk process,” Shilina said.
Earlier, Germany`s BILD newspaper reported that the Russian government was steering all affairs of the ”separatist areas” in the east of Ukraine with the help of a specially established commission.
According to the newspaper, the commission, which an insider referred to as ”shadow government of the Donbas” while talking to BILD, includes Dmitry Kozak, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia and close friend of Vladimir Putin; Deputy Minister for Economic Development Sergey Nazarov, Deputy Minister of Finance Leonid Gornin. The secret service `FSB` has supervision over the ”shadow government,” as was reported.
The newspaper also wrote that a representative of the Ukrainian energy giant DTEK was present at one of the commission`s meetings.
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