Stepan Chernovetskyi and tanks from Morocco: truth or manipulation?

Stepan Chernovetskyi, a former Kyiv City Council deputy and the son of former Kyiv mayor Leonid Chernovetskyi, has come under the spotlight. Recently, information appeared in several Telegram channels claiming that he acted as an intermediary in negotiations between Ukraine and Morocco regarding the supply of tanks.

Specifically, it is claimed that the owner of the Chernovetskyi Investment Group fund convinced Moroccan authorities to transfer 173 T-74EA tanks to Ukraine, of which 70 are already in the country, and that he allegedly purchased one tank and two armoured personnel carriers with personal funds.

However, the information raises doubts. Diplomatic sources do not confirm Chernovetskyi's involvement in the negotiations, and the Moroccan arsenal does not include T-74EA tanks – the discussion concerned Belarusian T-72Bs.

What do the facts say?

Moroccan authorities have not officially commented on this situation. However, a number of military analysts have found indirect evidence of the tank supply.

In December 2022, Morocco participated in the "Ramstein" format for the first time. It later emerged that the country transferred a batch of T-72Bs to the Czech Republic, where they were modernised before being sent to Ukraine. The Czech Republic did not officially disclose the source of the supply, however, experts from the Oryx, Militarnyi portals and the French publication Le Journal de l’Afrique established that the tanks were of Moroccan origin.

At the same time, the US provided Morocco with new tanks as part of military aid.

Official negotiations on the transfer of armoured vehicles were conducted by Ukraine's Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, Head of the Main Directorate of the SBU Kyrylo Budanov, and Czech diplomats. Chernovetskyi's name does not appear anywhere in these processes.

Given the Chernovetskyi family's reputation, if he had been involved in such deals, it would be logical to assume that he pursued a financial interest, rather than solely supporting Ukraine.

Fake charitable donations?

Another dubious claim, widely circulated in Telegram channels, is that the Chernovetskyi Investment Group fund donated more than $12 million to the Armed Forces of Ukraine without public disclosure.

However, there is publicity. The fund's official Facebook page states that donations amounted to 100 million hryvnia – which is five times less than the claimed amount.

Why is Chernovetskyi back in the spotlight?

The answer lies in recent anti-corruption investigations. Operation NABU "Clean City", targeted at Leonid Chernovetskyi's closest ally, Denys Komarnytskyi, uncovered large-scale corruption schemes, the proceeds from which could have formed the basis of the Chernovetskyi Investment Group's capital.

The official version of the Chernovetskyi family is that their wealth was accumulated after the sale of "Pravex-Bank" in 2008. However, the investigations hint at other sources of income.

It appears that Stepan Chernovetskyi is trying to restore his reputation while the anti-corruption investigation is ongoing. Did the suspects in the Komarnytskyi case give testimony against him? This question may be what is driving him to rapidly "switch the agenda".