Public Statement by Tomas Fiala, CEO of Dragon Capital

Dear friends,

In recent days, there has been a surge of smear campaigns targeting me personally. False claims are being spread alleging that Arricano, a company in which I indirectly hold a minority stake (12.5%), continues to operate in temporarily occupied Crimea. I would like to clarify the facts to prevent further manipulation of this information.

First and foremost, Arricano does not operate in Crimea, and I do not own any shares in companies that conduct business there.

Secondly, a minor non-controlling stake does not grant me any influence over decision-making in Arricano. Our team has made every effort to negotiate Dragon Capital’s exit from the company with its majority shareholder—even on unfavorable terms for us. Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to do so.

I believe that this smear campaign is yet another response to my public support for freedom of speech and my calls for reforms that are necessary to accelerate Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration.

I am sincerely pleased that none of the media outlets recognized as transparent and accountable according to existing ratings have published this false information. However, it has appeared on numerous platforms known for publishing paid content, and regrettably, even on the national telethon. Despite my open offer to provide comments to the Inter TV channel—through its management and through officials whom I understand to have direct influence over media policy—and despite the official denial we published on our website and Facebook page on December 22, these accusations have persisted.

In late February 2014, during the Maidan, we decided to invest in independent media—of which there were very few at the time—so that Ukrainians would not have to pay such a high price for democracy in the future. That is how the NV magazine and website were founded. Several years later, when V. Medvedchuk became a shareholder in 1+1 and began acquiring information channels with Russian funds, turning them into pro-Russian propaganda outlets, we intensified our efforts by launching Radio NV and investing in Ukrainska Pravda.

I understand that politicians do not appreciate independent media uncovering information about them and their inner circles—facts they would prefer to keep hidden. But without such journalism, Ukraine cannot be a democratic country with a market economy, nor can it become a member of the EU and NATO.

This open and uncompromising stance creates many challenges for our business. Nonetheless, I have signed an agreement not to interfere in the editorial policy of the media outlets we support, and I will not violate it—regardless of any pressure currently being exerted or that may come in the future.

Right now, all of us—from ordinary citizens to the President—share one goal: strengthening Ukraine’s defense forces and economy. To achieve this, we need unity not just in words but in action.

Over the past 23 years of doing business in Ukraine, we have attracted over USD 5 billion in investments from leading global companies. I will do everything in my power to ensure that our businesses continue to operate successfully in Ukraine, pay hundreds of millions in taxes, and support the Armed Forces of Ukraine—our voluntary contributions alone will exceed UAH 100 million in 2023.

I sincerely hope that we will be able to continue contributing to the country’s economy and doing even more for Ukraine in the coming year.

Glory to Ukraine!