(12.05.) A fellow billionaire and governor of Dnepropetrovsk, Igor Kolomoisky, praised Akhmetov for his efforts to keep Kiev’s armed forces at bay and preserve the unity of Ukraine as a country.

“He fights with all his resources, trying to keep Donbass with Ukraine,” Kolomoysky said, Vesti-24 reported.

The coup-imposed government in Kiev said that they were “surprised” by Metinvest’s statement.