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Rebels and oligarchs: 7 key players in eastern Ukraine

A look at the Russian-born rebels and the wealthy Ukrainian oligarchs who are key players in Ukraine's restless east.

5. Ihor Kolomoisky

Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters
Igor Kolomoisky, billionaire and governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region speaks during an interview in Dnipropetrovsk May 24, 2014.

Ihor Kolomoisky was appointed in March as governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region. The banking oligarch controls the Privat Group that has media, energy, airline, and metallurgy interests. He has an estimated net worth of $1.7 billion, making him one of Ukraine’s richest men. He also has a shark tank in his office.

Mr. Kolomoisky opposes the separatists and has used his own fortune to strengthen Kiev's forces. He offered $10,000 for every pro-Russian fighter captured as well as smaller rewards for weapons captured. He proposed building a wall along the Ukrainian-Russian border to intercept rebels and weapons. And it wasn’t any ordinary wall: the proposal was for a “six-foot high, 10-12 inch-thick wall of reinforced steel, complete with electronic alarms, trenches and minefields.” He called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “schizophrenic of short stature.” Putin called Kolomoisky a “scoundrel.” A Moscow court has authorized Kolomoisky’s arrest over his involvement in the conflict. 

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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