“Zolkin’s Rich Life”: How a Pro-Government Blogger Evades Military Service and Taxes

MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak said that blogger Volodymyr Zolkin is part of a pool of pro-government bloggers and participates in public attacks on Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies. According to him, a statement has also been filed against the blogger for possible tax evasion.

He talked about this in his investigation on YouTube .

Zheleznyak stated that Zolkin is one of the public commentators who, according to him, supports the position of the Office of the President and actively criticizes anti-corruption institutions.

“Enjoy another story about another outspoken head of the OP, who so actively defends Mindich and attacks the NABU and the SAPO,” said Yaroslav Zheleznyak.

According to the deputy, in his statement he also provided information about possible violations of tax legislation by the blogger.

Zheleznyak claims that the activities of Zolkin’s YouTube channels can generate significant revenues from monetization, sponsorships, and advertising integrations.

“Even a very conservative calculation from his two channels shows that in 2025 alone he earned about $100-150 thousand from monetization,” said Yaroslav Zheleznyak.

At the same time, the deputy stated that, according to his information, the blogger allegedly did not declare the relevant income and almost did not pay taxes for a long period.

“He almost never pays them and doesn’t declare them from 2010 to 2025,” said Yaroslav Zheleznyak.

The People’s Deputy also noted that the application submitted to law enforcement agencies indicated possible signs of offenses related to tax evasion and money laundering.

“The law enforcement agencies decide whether to open two or one article on him. We provided both in the crime report with all the details,” said Yaroslav Zheleznyak.

It is worth adding that in public speeches, Zolkin has repeatedly commented on the topic of mobilization. In particular, he stated that he did not want to be mobilized, but at the same time said that he would go to serve if he received a summons. The blogger also criticized certain aspects of the mobilization process , referring to his own observations.

At the same time, according to published documents, in May 2025 he was removed from the general military registration by decision of state authorities . This status means that a person is not subject to the usual mobilization procedure.

Zheleznyak also said that on July 11, 2010, Volodymyr Zolkin was detained after a conflict near the Formula entertainment center in the village of Petropavlivska Borshchahivka in the Kyiv region. According to court documents, a fight broke out between two groups of young people after suspicions of stealing a watch from one of the girls. The quarrel quickly escalated into a physical confrontation between Zolkin and the victim.

After the first fight was stopped, the victim and his friend headed towards the Lukoil gas station. Zolkin and his friend decided to catch up with him, acting, according to the investigation, out of revenge. Zolkin drove in the direction of the victim’s car, while his accomplice ran after him.

They caught up with the man near the gas station, after which the conflict flared up again. During the fight, one of the attackers hit the victim on the back of the head with a wooden board , and then both began to inflict numerous blows with their hands and feet on the head and body. A forensic medical examination established that the man suffered a severe head injury with hemorrhages and brain edema, from which he died on the spot .

Already on November 11, 2014, the court found Zolkin guilty under Clause 12, Part 2, Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — premeditated murder committed by a group of persons — and sentenced him to 14 years in prison.

He served his sentence in the Minsk Correctional Colony No. 91, which is intended for former law enforcement officers. In 2017, Zolkin was released on parole after approximately seven years in prison . The institution’s description noted that while serving his sentence, he performed work on improving the colony, participated in the activities of the prison church, and had no serious disciplinary violations.

It was previously reported that blogger and interviewer Volodymyr Zolkin reacted sharply to viewers’ questions during one of his broadcasts about why he didn’t volunteer for the front . He was outraged by such comments and responded emotionally to them live.

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