Captain's Quarters Blog


« Protesting Factual Errors In The Paper Of Record | Main | Republicans Demand Voter Rolls In King County »

December 27, 2004
Yanukovych Supporter Found Dead, Suspected Suicide

The fallout from the collapse of Viktor Yanukovych and the ascendancy of the Orange Revolution in Ukraine took a dark twist this evening, as a minister who backed Yanukovych was found dead from a gunshot wound:

Ukraine's Transport Minister Heorhiy Kyrpa has been found dead at his holiday home near the capital Kiev. The minister is reported to have gunshot wounds and officials said a gun was found near his body.

Mr Kyrpa, 58, appointed in 2002, was a staunch supporter of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.

Local media in Ukraine reported Kyrpa's death as a suicide, apparently brought on by the Yanukovych loss in the presidential election. Americans may recall the various conspiracy theories surrounding the death of Vincent Foster a decade ago, whose body was also found with the gun that killed him. Despite several investigations concluding that Foster committed suicide, including one by Ken Starr, many still believe that his death was part of a vast conspiracy by the Clintons to hush up alleged crimes.

Given the verified poisoning of President-elect Viktor Yushchenko, how far do you think the conspiracy theories will reach in Ukraine, whatever conclusion the evidence supports? Both sides will concoct mythologies with Kyrpa's death at the center that may take decades to unravel. The death may undo much of the high spirits Ukrainians enjoy at the moment of their democratic triumph and remind them that Ukraine still has a long way to travel.

Sphere It Digg! View blog reactions
Posted by Ed Morrissey at December 27, 2004 8:28 PM

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry is

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Yanukovych Supporter Found Dead, Suspected Suicide:

» Riding the Rails in Ukraine from SCSU Scholars
Nothing is ever straightforward in CIS countries like Ukraine, and the reported death of transportation minister Heorhiy Kirpa is a beauty. Kirpa is suspected of helping shuffle around the voters that helped stuff ballot boxes back on November 21. Ca... [Read More]

Tracked on December 27, 2004 10:01 PM

» Ukraine Transport Minister Heorhiy Kyrpa Found Shot To Death from Diggers Realm
A supporter of outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych was found shot to death with a gun by his body at his holiday retreat near the capital of Kiev. It seems there is a rushing to cover this story as not... [Read More]

Tracked on December 28, 2004 4:02 AM

» Ukraine Transport Minister Found Shot To Death from The Command Post - Global Recon
A supporter of outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych was found shot to death with a gun by his body at his holiday retreat near the capital of Kiev. It seems there is a rushing to cover this story as... [Read More]

Tracked on December 28, 2004 4:48 AM



Design & Skinning by:
m2 web studios





blog advertising



button1.jpg

Proud Ex-Pat Member of the Bear Flag League!