Zhevago's case comes as Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy seeks to clip the wings of oligarchs dominating the economy since the fall of the Soviet Union three decades ago. Zhevago, a former lawmaker and former beneficiary owner of Finance & Credit Bank, was released on bail for 1 million euros and due to appear at an appeals court in the nearby town of Chambery. Zhevago told Reuters Finance & Credit was one of dozens of banks to lose vast sums of money after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. Since then, Russia's invasion has inflicted huge damage on Ukraine's industrial sector and contributed to the erosion of their wealth. Monthly publication Forbes Ukraine estimated Zhevago's worth at $2.4 billion in 2021 and $1.4 billion at the end of 2022.

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