According to recent publications, Russian crime figure and alleged Russian asset, Pavel Fuks (aka Pavlo Fuks or Pavel Fuchs) escaped from Ukraine to UAE, and is hiding in Dubai. He’s not the only Putin crony there.

Recently, Fuks has been accused in the press for paying for swastika graffiti to be painted on walls of Ukrainian synagogues. That old trick? Jeez, get a new shtick.

According to media stories and other souces including Ukraine expat and security expert Yuri Vanetik, Fuks admitted he was ordered to launch false flag operations prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Pavel Fuks

We have followed the escapades of Fuks before and it’s not the first time that Fuks has attempted to serve Putin’s agenda in Ukraine. Previously, Fuks participated in another Russian initiative, a scheme to launder hundreds of millions embezzled from Ukraine’s national budget. The funds were frozen due to their toxic origin, the fugitive pro-Putin deposed president, Viktor Yanukovych. According to multiple Russia experts, such as Olga Lautman, senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis and Anders Aslund, an economist, Fuks is a low rent thug who often serves the interests of Russia’s intelligence services. This is not an uncommon arrangement in the murky environs of the Russian underworld.

Prior to Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Pavel Fuks did not eschew controversy. Known to publicly threaten his adversaries, the Russian thug was sanctioned by the Ukrainian government and at one point arrested in absentia even by a Moscow court for a multi-million dollar fraud scam. Fuks has claimed that allegations of leading false flag operations on behalf of Russia were nonsense. He has also denied various allegations of fraud and other criminal activities, attributing negative press and criminal investigations to his enemies’ quest to hurt his image. He has similarly claimed that Ukraine’s sanctions against him are nothing more than revenge orchestrated by Ukrainian former politician and media mogul, Mikhail Brodsky.

With the advent of the devastating war in Eastern Europe, one thing is clear: the controversy surrounding Fuks contiues to grow. A product of Russia’s “gopnik” culture, Mr. Fuks is described by former associates as a low level street player. He is alleged to have ordered paid hits and sold gray market COVID-19 vaccines to wealthy Ukrainian friends for $12,000 per injection when Pfizer and Moderna were not available in Ukraine. According to one source, due to his personality and black market activities, Fuks “is a f***ing piece of sh** and has the self awareness of an armchair.”

All this begs the question: how did notorious, sanctioned Fuks escape from Ukraine? Ukraine wartime laws mandate that most male Ukraine nationals remain in the country to help with the war effort. How did this third rate, sanctioned, chuffed up street urchin end up in Dubai dining at elegant restaurants, while posting on his Telegram feed “Glory to Ukraine”? Someone in Ukraine must be in the know.