The Verkhovna Rada supported the request to the president to strip Yuriy Boyko of the title of "Hero of Ukraine".
This was reported by MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak.
Only the President of Ukraine can strip someone of the title of "Hero of Ukraine". However, the Parliament can submit a request to do so, which the Rada agreed to.
In 2002-2005, Boyko headed “Naftogaz”. At that time, Ukraine managed to settle its gas debts to Russia and Turkmenistan. Therefore, in the summer of 2004, then-President Leonid Kuchma awarded Yuriy Boyko the Order of the State and awarded him the title of Hero of Ukraine for “complete settlement of Ukraine’s gas debts to the Russian Federation”.
What is MP Boyko known for?
Yuriy Boyko is an MP of several convocations. He also held the positions of Minister of Fuel and Energy (in 2006–2007 and 2010) and Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine (in 2012–2014).
The politician was a member of the Party of Regions, which maintained close ties with Russia. He later headed the parliamentary group "Platform for Life and Peace", created from former members of the now-banned "Opposition Platform — For Life". Its rhetoric was also pro-Kremlin.
Boyko often echoes Moscow’s narratives, including opposing the ban on the UOC MP. He also ran for president of Ukraine in 2014 and 2019.
The other day, Boyko shared a video message on TikTok in which he spoke about "violence against people" and "Ukrainian radicals" who are renaming cities, demolishing monuments, and supposedly "forbidding people from speaking their native language".
After that, he was summoned for questioning by the Security Service of Ukraine. Subsequently, Boyko published a new appeal — this time with an apology to the Ukrainians. In it, he called Putin a war criminal and stated that everyone should be united and aimed at victory. After that, the Rada recalled Boyko from the Human Rights Committee — on the second attempt.
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