From 1984 to 2001, 10 seasons of the Italian crime series La Piovra, or "The Octopus," were released. This is the most well-known Italian television series in the world. The creative team of the project, led by the famous writer, screenwriter, producer, and director Damiano Damiani (Damiano Damiani, 1922-2013), managed to tell viewers about the scale of the mafia's penetration into the fabric of modern society, perhaps for the first time in history. And they truly frightened the audience by demonstrating just how defenseless this society is against the tentacles of the corruption monster.
Corruption
We in Ukraine understand well how massive the problem of corruption is – since the early years of Ukraine's independence, when the first systemic corruptors, like then-Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko, got their hands on the "trough." At that time, they were just learning to steal, but over the past 30 years, they have significantly raised their "professional" level and seriously scaled their schemes.
We often perceive Ukrainian corruption as a disease, especially in light of the justified criticism directed at Ukraine from our foreign partners. But this is not a disease. It is a symptom. Treating the symptoms is a misguided path. Damiano Damiani and his team managed to convincingly convey this in "The Octopus." We need to heal the sick society.
Triggers of Social Disturbance and Delayed Social Explosion
Unfortunately, Ukrainians are patient. We tend to endure for too long, far too long. And even when we can no longer endure, and something should have been done long ago – we still endure. But then something triggers us, and a delayed social explosion begins. Such an explosion carries great risks and severe consequences. Remember Khmelnytsky, Koliyivshchyna, Haidamachyna…
Modern Ukrainian history is also filled with similar triggers and delayed social explosions. The falsified elections of 2004 were the trigger for the Orange Revolution. The crackdown by the Berkut on students was the trigger for the Revolution of Dignity. And even in less significant events – such as the "cardboard" action of summer 2025 against the pressure of the authorities on anti-corruption bodies – we see the same social mechanics: too much patience – trigger – explosion.
- Wasn't it obvious that during the late Kuchma era, the government led Ukraine into a dead end and essentially began handing over the state to the "Donetsk mafia"? Did we have to wait for the elections to be falsified?
- Wasn't it clear that during Yanukovych's time, there was a factual takeover of the state by mafia clans? Did we have to wait until the Euro-integration processes were halted and students were beaten?
- And even in our days – isn't it clear that the state is critically corrupt, and that the "great theft" by new effective, unbreakable, and powerful managers is leading Ukraine to defeat in the war and to national catastrophe? What else needs to happen for us to understand that this cannot be tolerated?
New Trigger
The embezzlement of Energoatom funds is a new trigger that has stirred society. After all, this is not even about corruption at the highest level. Here we can and must see signs of a factual takeover of the state – and this is at a time when war is ongoing and the question of whether Ukraine will even exist is being decided. Will there be an explosion? Will we once again be fed the tale that "the king is good, but the boyars are bad," and will we swallow that tale? And will we endure further, until the next trigger? Which one? What else must happen?
According to the Public Anti-Corruption Council under the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the same Mindich tried to pressure then-Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov to support the purchase of bulletproof vests from a company with a dubious reputation, "Milicon UA." Of course, this is looting. And we know what to do with looters during wartime.
What to Do?
Powerful and unbreakable managers have effectively taken over the state and are leading it to defeat in the war. And we do not have the right to lose. Therefore, we can no longer tolerate such "unfriendly absorption" of the Ukrainian state by this criminal octopus. A social explosion is inevitable. The longer the patience lasts, the heavier the consequences will be.
We need the whole truth. And appropriate tough decisions made at the highest level of state leadership. The octopus must be destroyed.
Let us unite.
