Leading political experts believe that the participation of Aleksandr Yaroslavskyi in the fate of the Zaporizhzhia aircraft-building plant PJSC ‘Motor-Sich’ will allow the Ukrainian authorities to resolve the geopolitical stalemate around this enterprise.
Let us recall that today the official announcement was made stating the DCH group of Aleksandr Yaroslavskyi has reached an agreement with Chinese investors representing Skyrizon.
Vadim Karasev, Director of the Institute for Global Strategies, is convinced that Mr Yaroslavskyi is seriously going to get involved in the enterprise, and the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine will no longer have reasons to block the activities of ‘Motor Sich’, as was the case under the previous government. ‘I have been observing the situation around “Motor Sich” for a long time. In fact, the enterprise has not been allowed to work fine for several years, with all the demand for its products in the world. Under the previous government, the situation was like this – no one has any business if there is no benefit to the officials. Did not give a kickback – get the Antimonopoly Committee with speculations around the purchase of an asset, the Security Service of Ukraine with accusations of the crime of high treason at any mention of the Russian market. The assortment is standard. Plus, the US-China situation, where the national interests of Ukraine are very poorly visible. Now there is a chance that with the participation of the Ukrainian investor in the person of Aleksandr Yaroslavskyi, the “Motor-Sich” game on the bones will stop. All the factories that he bought are working – which removes the questions in Ukraine.’ Karasev also emphasizes that the international business reputation of the businessman allows the Ze-team to get out of the problematic situation inherited from the Poroshenko’s regimen with honour. ‘He (Mr Yaroslavskyi) is respected in the world, which removes the geopolitical factor. That is, “Motor Sich” is getting out of the stalemate and starts working for the benefit of Ukraine,’ Vadim Karasev said.
A similar opinion was expressed by Volodymyr Fesenko, Head of the Centre for Applied Political Research ‘Penta’. ‘John Bolton, Advisor to the US President on National Security, came to Ukraine in August 2019, and even then the question of how to find a compromise situation so that “Motor Sich” was not sold to the Chinese was being decided. The option with Yaroslavskyi may become a compromise,’ the expert believes.
‘Motor Sich’ is one of the world’s largest enterprises for the manufacturing, testing, maintenance and repair of 55 types and modifications of economic and reliable engines for 61 types of aircraft and helicopters for various purposes. The company was acquired by Chinese investors associated with Skyrizon in 2016, investing more than $100 million in the development of production. The investors intended to transfer 25% of the shares to the state voluntarily. However, in June 2020, Ruslan Korzh, Advisor to the General Director of the State Enterprise ‘UkrOboronProm’, said that the proposal was irrelevant.
‘Motor-Sich’ employed about 30 thousand workers and engineers at its best, now the number of employees has decreased by almost 5 thousand, and the enterprise is experiencing serious financial difficulties.
Aleksandr Yaroslavskyi, owner and president of the DCH group, is one of the top 10 Ukrainian businessmen according to the national Forbes. He is known for the successful withdrawal from the idle time of the Kharkiv Tractor Plant, whose activities were also blocked during Poroshenko’s regimen by various authorities, including the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine.
