# Zelensky says senior officials named in drug ring tapes have no links to criminal network

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/zelensky-says-senior-officials-named-in-drug-ring-tapes-have-no-links-to-criminal-network/
- Published: 2026-11-14T16:46:43+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-14T23:05:50+00:00
- Original publisher: Kyiv Independent
- Original article: https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-says-senior-officials-named-in-drug-ring-tapes-have-no-links-to-criminal-network/
- Topics: Europe, Government, Health, Medicine, Politics, World

## Key points

- Zelensky says three named officials had no links to Khimprom.
- Investigators say a planned attempt to influence officials failed.
- Zelensky warns the alleged network is expanding beyond Ukraine.

## Summary

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Health Minister Viktor Liashko, National Security and Defense Council Secretary Ihor Klymenko and lawmaker David Arakhamia have no links to the alleged Khimprom drug network. Their names appeared in recordings as people the network discussed bribing or influencing, but none of the three appear on the tapes released by Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency. Zelensky said investigators told him they had no evidence connecting the officials to the network.

Investigators say Khimprom planned unsuccessfully to bribe Liashko and Klymenko to keep its synthetic drugs off Ukraine’s banned substances list; the agency said Klymenko was not implicated. The alleged network, led by Yehor Burkin and Andrii Osipov, is accused of selling synthetic drugs and protecting scam call centres, with Osipov’s seized phone helping uncover the scheme. Zelensky said the network has reached Poland and is seeking to enter Germany, and urged international partners to help stop it.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.