Age, Biography and Wiki

Mykola Melnychenko was born on 18 October, 1966 in Vasylkiv, Ukraine, is a Ukrainian bodyguard. Discover Mykola Melnychenko's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 57 years old?

Popular As N/A
Occupation N/A
Age 57 years old
Zodiac Sign Libra
Born 18 October, 1966
Birthday 18 October
Birthplace Vasylkiv, Ukraine
Nationality Ukraine

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 18 October. He is a member of famous with the age 57 years old group.

Mykola Melnychenko Height, Weight & Measurements

At 57 years old, Mykola Melnychenko height not available right now. We will update Mykola Melnychenko's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Physical Status
Height Not Available
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Who Is Mykola Melnychenko's Wife?

His wife is Natalia Rozynska (m. 2012)

Family
Parents Not Available
Wife Natalia Rozynska (m. 2012)
Sibling Not Available
Children Not Available

Mykola Melnychenko Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Mykola Melnychenko worth at the age of 57 years old? Mykola Melnychenko’s income source is mostly from being a successful . He is from Ukraine. We have estimated Mykola Melnychenko's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
House Not Available
Cars Not Available
Source of Income

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Timeline

1966

Mykola Ivanovych Melnychenko (Микола Іванович Мельниченко; born 18 October 1966) was a bodyguard of Ukrainian former president Leonid Kuchma.

He is also an officer of the State Security Administration of Ukraine.

1992

In 1992, soon after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Melnychenko started his career in Ukraine's State Security Administration (formerly the 9th Directorate of the Committee for State Security (KGB)).

Later, he joined President Leonid Kuchma's team of bodyguards and at the time of the scandal, Melnychenko held the rank of Major.

His main duty was to protect the President's office against possible eavesdropping.

Melnychenko is divorced with one daughter.

1998

Between 1998 and 2000, Melnychenko allegedly recorded numerous conversations that took place in Kuchma's office before fleeing abroad with the secretly taped recordings.

2000

The publication of these recordings in 2000 caused a major scandal in Ukraine (known as the Cassette Scandal), which dramatically affected the country's domestic and foreign policy.

Melnychenko's principal accusations against Kuchma (supposedly confirmed by the recordings) are the ordering of the kidnapping and murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze.

The United States government became involved after one of the records revealed the alleged transfer of an advanced Ukrainian radar system Kolchuha to Saddam Hussein's Iraq.

Hundreds of other allegations are based on the recordings.

Mykola Melnychenko was born in the village of Zapadynka, Kyiv Oblast (now outskirt of Vasylkiv) to a family of coal miners moved from Horlivka, eastern Ukraine.

He graduated from the Kyiv Military Institute of Control and Signals in Kyiv and became a KGB communications protection expert.

On November 28, 2000, Ukrainian politician Oleksandr Moroz publicly accused President Kuchma of involvement in the murder of Gongadze, naming Melnychenko as the source of information and playing selected recordings to journalists, starting the 'Cassette Scandal'.

Days earlier Melnychenko had fled Ukraine to Ostrava in the Czech Republic, where he left several bags containing dozens of CDs storing thousands of digital recordings.

Melnychenko left Ukraine covertly with his family, breaking an official prohibition on leaving the country.

Melnychenko claimed that he acted alone when recording the President's conversations and then publishing them abroad.

According to Melnychenko, he put an amateur digital dictaphone under a sofa in Kuchma's office and was changing it every time he inspected the room.

As the Major states, he was motivated purely by his disillusionment with what he perceived as the extremely corrupt nature of Kuchma's regime and "decided to document evidences of crimes" committed by the President.

After the disappearance of Georgiy Gongadze, he supposedly decided to publish the recordings and protect his life.

Then Melnychenko turned to his political sympathizer Oleksander Moroz for help, and received it.

Later, Melnychenko moved to the United States and received political asylum there.

His tapes were eventually made available to the United States intelligence services and examined to determine their authenticity and content.

The authenticity of the whole file of tapes remains officially unconfirmed.

However, U.S. forensic experts have officially analyzed the section of tapes concerning Iraq issues and found it authentic.

The Ukrainian authorities have issued an international search warrant for Melnychenko, claiming that he is an 'important witness' and possible traitor of state secrets.

However, no evidence of forced return or assassination efforts against Melnychenko were made public.

Many experts and journalists find Melnychenko's story highly questionable.

In particular, they argue that:

Nevertheless, experts and politicians analyzing the recordings agree that at least some of them are real, judging by known voices, speaking manners and confidential details mentioned.

A few politicians, including Kuchma himself, have officially claimed they recognize their own voices on the tapes.

However, the President and his supporters have always denied the authenticity of the body of conversations recorded, calling them a "montage".

2002

On the other hand, in 2002 Bruce Koenig, of the US forensic firm Bek Tek, a former worker in the FBI's forensic laboratory, examined the recordings and concluded that there were no signs of them having been doctored.

After he received asylum, Melnychenko started to become actively involved in Ukraine's politics and foreign relations, making comments for media and writing books based on his records.

2004

In 2004, Volodymyr Tsvil, a Ukrainian businessman and former KGB officer who supposedly assisted Melnychenko in his escape and further accommodation in the West, publicly accused him of not revealing certain details of the case.

2005

On March 1, 2005 the criminal case against Melnychenko for "the disclosure of state secrets, abuse of office and using counterfeit documents" was closed.

2009

On December 6, 2009 Melnychenko accused Volodymyr Lytvyn of ordering the murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze in 2000.

2010

Melnychenko tried to run in the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election but was not registered as a candidate because he did not pay the mandatory election deposit of 2.5 million hryvnya.

A spokesperson for Lytvyn dismissed the claims as part of the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election campaign.

2011

On July 29, 2011 the criminal case against Melnychenko originally closed on March 1, 2005 was reopened.