Journalist Denys Kazanskyi says unknown account offered him interview with 'Mexican' from NABU tapes

Burkin is suspected of involvement in organizing the operations of the Khimprom drug cartel. He was identified in recordings released by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) as "Mexican."

"It was fairly clear why and how this would be used, so I decided not to participate. Besides, I wasn't entirely sure the messages were actually coming from him. And today, the interview appeared on another channel," Kazanskyi said.

Kazanskyi pointed out that it remains unclear who is behind the voice presented as that of Mexican. He suggested the recording could have been generated using artificial intelligence, adding that "almost no one has seen the real Burkin, and perhaps he is no longer even alive."

"It's unclear how to interpret what this voice is saying. On the one hand, the large-scale corruption schemes organized by Burkin definitely exist, and NABU has confirmed this. On the other hand, he could now be settling personal scores, naming anyone as his accomplice and discrediting any institution. The media eagerly quote a voice from the internet. A Russian drug trafficker is filling the information space," Kazanskyi said.

Kazanskyi argued that the situation demonstrates how deeply corrupt networks can penetrate government institutions.

"An entire state has been made to look foolish here. Because now Burkin's voice, coming from who knows where, can periodically make new statements and literally influence Ukrainian politics and public opinion," the journalist stressed.

On Nov. 13, blogger Vasyl Tymoshenko published an interview on his YouTube channel with a person claiming to be Yehor Burkin.

In the video, the voice claims that before Operation Carthage began, approximately 1,500 fraudulent call centers were operating in Ukraine, with a turnover of $2 billion to $3 billion. The money allegedly went to law enforcement officials, call center employees, property landlords and others. The man claimed that approximately 100,000 people were involved in the system.

He alleged that bribes were paid to law enforcement officials to keep the call centers operating. He estimated total annual payments to law enforcement officials at $350 million to $370 million and claimed the call centers brought approximately $20 billion into Ukraine annually.

Tymoshenko's interviewee alleged that protection for the call centers was directly overseen by Andriy Osipov, known as "Criminal"; Oleksandr Kovalchuk, first deputy head of Directorate D of the Security Service of Ukraine's (SBU) Department for the Protection of National Statehood; and Serhiy Duka, first deputy head of the same department.

The person claiming to be Burkin said he had personally communicated with Kovalchuk and Duka. He also named Anton Kravchuk, head of the SBU's Main Directorate of Internal Security, among those who allegedly received payments to avoid obstructing the operations.

He also identified Serhiy Kropyva, former deputy head of the International Legal Cooperation Department at the Prosecutor General's Office, as a participant in the alleged scheme. According to the interviewee, Kropyva kept part of the money and passed the remainder to then-Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko.

The voice claimed that "the entire leadership" of Ukraine's law enforcement system "received its share." At the top of the alleged scheme, he said, was Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Oleh Tatarov, who "oversees the entire law enforcement system."

Burkin is internationally wanted. His current whereabouts are unknown.

On Nov. 4, NABU announced that it had uncovered new details in the Carthage case and released recordings featuring former and current officials from the National Police, the SBU and the Prosecutor General's Office.

That day, SBU Gen. Serhiy Duka, National Police officials Volodymyr Tsenov and Oleksandr Demianchuk, and boxing club founder Vitaliy Rybalka were detained.

On Nov. 5, NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) announced that five suspected members of the group had been formally notified of suspicion. The detained suspects were remanded in custody.

On Nov. 13, Duka was released from pretrial detention after the full bail amount of 65 million hryvnias was posted.