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In the early morning of June 24, a train slowly departed from the Ukrainian capital of Kiev to the Polish city of Chełm. Along with the train, Gennady Bogolyubov, a famous Ukrainian financial oligarch, also left the country. Bogolyubov was bald and frowned habitually. He sat at the end of the No. 13 train carriage, watching his wife, Emina Zapalova, coming to see him off outside the window, showing a bit of panic and reluctance.

·Bogolyubov. (File photo)

"My elderly mother is in London, living with my sister. She is sick and can't get out of bed." Before this, Bogolyubov told border officials calmly.

"The passengers' documents are fine. I have checked them, so you don't have to go in." Vladimir, head of border control inspection, said to his subordinates.

The staff scannedBogolyubov's passport was not even looked at before he was allowed to pass.

However,BogolyubovHe did not leave the country through normal channels, but used the lost passport of another 67-year-old Ukrainian freelancer to escape. It is worth mentioning that when he entered Poland, he used his real passport.

·Compare genuine and fake passports.

Bogolyubov was then charged with illegal border crossing and illegal robbing of someone else's passport.Border inspectorsalsoArrested by Ukrainian authorities.Ukrainian President Zelensky demanded that his whereabouts be clarified as much as possible and asked allies not to cover up for him.

The fleeing oligarchs

"Bogolyubov left Ukraine as a Ukrainian citizen and abided by all rules and laws. According to martial law regulations, men over 60 and men with three or more children under the age of 18 have the right to leave the country. Bogolyubov is 62 years old and has seven children, five of whom are minors." Bogolyubov's press office responded in the comment section of Ukrainian Pravda, saying that Bogolyubov left Ukraine legally.

Bogolyubov's spokesman also said that Bogolyubov has remained in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and has left the country legally several times.

Why forge documents when you can leave the country legally?

In fact, Bogolyubov has long tried to leave Ukraine for fear of being arrested, but the authorities have prohibited him from leaving the country. According to the Ukrainian Pravda, Bogolyubov's name was marked as needing approval from border control to leave the country because he might face charges from the Economic Security Service.

·Bogolyubov.(Data map)

Everything goes back to the "Kolomoisky case" eight years ago, which is regarded as one of the "biggest financial scandals of the 21st century".

Kolomoisky is the largest shareholder of PrivatBank. In 2016, PrivatBank, co-founded by Kolomoisky and Bogolyubov, was found to have a hole of more than $5.5 billion in its books. The largest commercial bank in Ukraine was accused of financial misconduct and mismanagement, and the Ukrainian government decided to nationalize the bank for financial stability reasons.

·Kolomoisky (right) andBogolyubov。

Bogolyubov, one of the founders of Privat Bank, has tried several times through the Kyiv Commercial Court to reclaim his shares in the bank when it was nationalized, but all without success. Bogolyubov is also under investigation by Ukrainian authorities for allegedly transferring funds from the bank and other financial frauds involving hundreds of companies around the world.

The investigation lasted eight years.

On September 2, 2023, Bogolyubov's partner Kolomoisky was arrested on suspicion of fraud and money laundering. Five days later, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine accused Kolomoisky and five other people associated with the Privat Group of embezzling funds from financial institutions, involving a total amount of up to $9.2 billion.

·Kolomoisky. (File photo)

Recently, the Ukrainian Economic Security Service is also preparing to prosecute Bogolyubov for his involvement in the Privat Bank case, which is the main reason why he fled Ukraine this time. However, after the news of Bogolyubov's departure was exposed, Privat Group confirmed that he had resigned from the group.

In fact, as early as the end of last year, Bogolyubov had a similar "escape" behavior in the UK, where he lived. It is reported that Bogolyubov paid his wife Zapalova 7 million pounds to let her leave the luxury house in London, and threatened that if she did not move out, he would stop paying alimony to his wife and children. The relevant court documents stated that Bogolyubov's move was aimed at "cutting off ties with the jurisdiction (the UK)" so that he could avoid being sued in the UK for illegal operations of running a Ukrainian private bank.

Despite this, a British judge ruled that Bogolyubov's case involving alleged money transfers from Privat Bank and other financial frauds can be tried in London, with a verdict expected next year.

·Bogolyubov's wife Zapalova and their children.

It is reported thatBogolyubov nowHe is already in Austria, but claims that he is just visiting relatives and will not seek political asylum.

The beautiful diplomat who resigned

Bogolyubov is a Ukrainian-born international businessman and entrepreneur with a net worth of $1.2 billion. In addition to controlling Privat Bank, he founded and funded the Bogolyubov Foundation, a private charity that primarily serves Jewish people.We operate various projects around the world。

As one of the five Ukrainians on the 2024 Forbes magazine's list of the world's richest people, Bogolyubov has a stern expression and always looks confident.

·Bogolyubov.(Data map)

Bogolyubov's escape was assisted by his wife Zapalova, who drove him to Kiev Station, where he boarded a train to Poland.

Zapalova is no ordinary woman. She is more than 20 years younger than her husband, with fluffy blonde hair, deep eyes, and elegant makeup. Her every move is full of feminine charm. Not only is she gentle and dignified, but she has also made a name for herself in her career.

·Zapalova. (Data map)

Zapalova was born on May 5, 1983 in Krasnodar and received secondary education in Crimea. After graduating from high school, Zapalova entered the Institute of International Relations of Kyiv National University, specializing in international relations. In 2006, she obtained a bachelor's degree in international politics and English translation with honors.

After that, she attended the diplomat education program at the Clingendaal School of International Relations in the Netherlands and graduated in 2008.

After leaving school, Zapalova had a rich work experience. She first served as an attaché in the Department of Social, Cultural and Humanitarian Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and worked in the social public sector for two years.

Zapalova has been working in journalism since 2011. For three years, she served as deputy editor-in-chief of the Times newspaper and the "Crimea.Reality" project of Radio Liberty; she has been a host and author of many programs of Crimean TV ATR; and she has also served as a creative producer of programs on the history of Crimean Tatars and Tatar-language programs.

In 2015, Zapalova returned to the government as an adviser to the Minister of Information Policy of Ukraine, mainly responsible for information policy issues in Crimea.

·Zapalova. (Data map)

In the following years,She has been active in politics。

On May 18, 2020, Zapalova was appointed First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. She also serves as the Chairperson of the Ukrainian National Commission for UNESCO.

In February this year, Zelensky appointed Zapalova as Ukraine's representative to international organizations in Vienna.

It is worth mentioning that Bogolyubov originally planned to travel to Austria with his wife on a diplomatic passport, but the Ukrainian Presidential Office instructed to reject his application.

In fact, with the help of his wife's diplomat status, Bogolyubov opened up many ways. For example, in July 2023, the oligarch boarded a yacht near the Greek island of Corfu and visited London and Cyprus.

·Zapalova. (Data map)

Such a wife who was shining in her career chose to resign on her own initiative after her husband fled Ukraine.

On July 11, Zapalova submitted her resignation and wrote on social media: "I have decided not to stay in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and sent a corresponding statement to (Ukrainian Foreign Minister) Kuleba."

In addition, Zapalova emphasized that "I have not violated the law or used my power for personal gain." What has happened to her and her family recently was "manipulative and unfair," and she resigned only to focus on ensuring the safety of herself and her children.

This "anti-corruption" is very deep