Law enforcers have reported the suspicion of Yevhen Chernyak, an entrepreneur and owner of one of Ukraine’s largest alcoholic holdings, as well as six top managers of his companies. They are suspected of financing Russia’s armed aggression, the Security Service of Ukraine said.
“The security service has collected the evidence base on the owner of one of the largest alcoholic holdings of Ukraine Evgeny Chernyak, who is suspected of financing armed aggression rf. According to the investigation, despite the full-scale invasion, his companies continued to do business with the aggressor country,” the SBU said in a statement on its Telegram channel on Friday night.
Reportedly, during 2022 only in the form of payment of taxes and fees controlled by Chernyak companies transferred to the budget of the Russian Federation about 6 billion in the hryvnia equivalent. The investigation documented that the enterprises of the defendant, located in four countries of Central Asia and the South Caucasus, purchased industrial quantities of alcohol and other related products in Russia. During searches in the office premises of the holding in Ukraine, documents and other physical evidence of illegal activities in favor of the aggressor country were found.
“Based on the collected evidence, the investigators of the security service reported on suspicion Chernyak and 6 other top managers of his companies on part 2 of article 28, article 111-2 of the Criminal code of Ukraine (aiding the state-aggressor, committed by prior conspiracy by a group of persons)”, – informs the SBU.
Reportedly, the issue of seizure of their private and corporate property for transfer to the ARMA management is now being decided. The investigation was conducted under the procedural guidance of the Kyiv regional Prosecutor’s office.
According to open sources, Chernyak, the founder of the Khortytsa brand, is the head of the supervisory board of the Global Spirits alcohol holding company.
financing Russia's armed aggression, GLOBAL SPIRITS, Khortytsa, SBU, Yevhen Chernyak
On August 12, the Department of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced its intention to conclude a contract with IC “VUSO” (Kiev) for compulsory insurance of civil liability of owners of land vehicles.
According to the data of the electronic public procurement system Prozorro, the company’s price offer amounted to UAH 508,238 thousand against the expected cost of purchasing services of UAH 1.369 million.
The tender was also attended by insurance companies “Salamandra”-522,5 thousand UAH, “Oranta”-690,2 thousand UAH, “Inter-Policy”-1,159 million UAH, “Arsenal Insurance”-1,226 million UAH.
IC “VUSO” was founded in 2001. The company holds 50 licenses: 34 – for voluntary and 16 – for compulsory types of insurance. It is represented in all regions of Ukraine. It is a member of the ITSBU and the FSA, a participant of the Agreement on direct settlement of losses and a member of the Nuclear Insurance Pool.
According to the materials of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the property of former people’s deputy, subsanctioned businessman Vadym Novinsky worth more than 3.5 billion UAH has been arrested, the special service said.
“According to the materials of the Security Service arrested the property of pro-Russian oligarch Vadim Novinsky, involved in the complicity of the aggressor country,” the SBU said in a message in the Telegram channel on Thursday.
According to its data, the list of blocked assets includes corporate rights to 40 Ukrainian enterprises and 30 gas wells, where industrial volumes of “blue fuel” are produced. The total amount of property seized is more than 3.5 billion hryvnias.
Reportedly, in order to avoid sanctions of the National Security and Defence Council, Novinsky tried to re-register his own industrial facilities to several affiliated commercial structures. To implement the deal, he engaged controlled private notaries and state registrars.
Currently, based on the materials provided by the SBU, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine has cancelled the illegal actions of the registrars for a number of the oligarch’s companies.
As part of criminal proceedings under Article 111-2 (aiding and abetting the aggressor state) the SBU officers searched the offices of the companies and the places of work and residence of those involved. During the searches, documents, seals of non-resident companies and pro-Kremlin religious literature were found.
An investigation is under way to establish all the circumstances of the crime and bring the perpetrators to justice, the SBU said.
Investigative actions are conducted under the procedural guidance of the Office of the Prosecutor General in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.
As reported, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky’s decree of December 1, 2022 put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defense Council “On certain aspects of the activities of religious organizations in Ukraine and the application of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions)”, which sanctions were also applied to Novinsky.
The sanctions package includes 12 types of imposed restrictions, in particular, a complete blocking of assets, a ban on trade transactions, deprivation of all state awards and insignia, a ban on the withdrawal of capital outside of Ukraine, etc.
Employees of the Security Service of Ukraine have detained Vyacheslav Boguslayev, president of Motor Sich JSC, who is suspected of collaborating and working for the Russian Federation, the press center of the SBU reported.
In addition, law enforcement officers detained the head of the Department of Foreign Economic Activity of this enterprise.
The suspects were announced on suspicion under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, in particular, Art. 111-1 (collaboration activity) and art. 111-2 (complicity with the aggressor state).
The SBU noted that the detention took place within the framework of criminal proceedings on the illegal supply by Motor Sich of military goods for Russian attack aircraft.
According to the materials of the investigation, the management of the plant located in Zaporozhye is involved in the deal. Officials acted in collusion with representatives of the Russian corporation Rostec, which is one of the main arms manufacturers for Russia, close to the Kremlin.
“The attackers have established transnational channels for the illegal supply of wholesale lots of Ukrainian aircraft engines to the aggressor country. The occupiers used the resulting products for the production and repair of Russian attack helicopters of the Mi-8AMTSh-VN “Sapson”, KO-52 “Alligator”, Mi-28N “Night Hunter” types “, the message says.
It has been established that the invaders massively used the corresponding models of army aviation for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This is confirmed by numerous facts of the destruction of enemy combat helicopters by our defenders.
“To circumvent the established restrictions on trade with the Russian Federation, the organizers of the scheme used controlled commercial structures in three countries of the Middle East, Europe and East Asia. It was these companies that sent the order to the Ukrainian manufacturer, allegedly for the needs of the foreign side,” the report says.
At the same time, after receiving military products, “intermediaries” forwarded them to Russia. The enemy also used his foreign accomplices to repair and maintain their own aircraft using Ukrainian spare parts.
During the investigation, the Security Service officers identified all the organizers of the transactions, documented their criminal actions and carried out comprehensive measures to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Vyacheslav Boguslaev, President of JSC “Motor Sich” – one of the largest enterprises in Europe for the production of aircraft engines. Prior to the sale of a controlling stake in the Chinese company Skyrizon, which was frozen by the court, he was the largest shareholder of the enterprise.
Born in 1938, in 1966 he graduated from the Zaporozhye Machine-Building Institute with a degree in Aircraft Engines, since 1973 he has been the director of the Volochisk Machine-Building Plant, since 1988 he has been the general director of the Zaporizhzhya PO “Motorostroitel”.
Boguslaev headed Motor Sich in 1991. Since 1994 – the head of the board and general director of Motor Sich OJSC.
Since 2006, the people’s deputy of Ukraine of 5-8 convocations, and since 2019, the president of Motor Sich JSC and the general designer for the creation and modernization of helicopter technology.
Detained MP Viktor Medvedchuk said that he was dealing with the withdrawal from the state ownership of the Samara-Western direction oil pipeline at the request of then-President Petro Poroshenko, coal supplies from LPR / DPR. Of Ukraine.
A statement issued by the SBU on Monday in the agency’s Telegram Channel notes that Medvedchuk, who is suspected of treason and aiding terrorism, told about the scheme of withdrawal from state ownership of the Samara-West direction main oil pipeline for further pumping. him diesel fuel.
“Describing the essence of the scheme, Medvedchuk detailed the role of former President Petro Poroshenko in it. Namely, that he not only asked Medvedchuk to contact the Russian leadership, but also ensured the necessary decisions in all Ukrainian instances,” the statement said.
Referring to Medvedchuk’s words, the Ukrainian secret service reports: “For this pipeline to become private property, and in fact – the property of Poroshenko himself, it was necessary to perform a number of actions… Courts, prosecutors, Antimonopoly Committee, State Property Fund – all of them made decisions personal interests of President Poroshenko “.
Thus, as noted in the SBU, Medvedchuk claims that he dealt with the pipeline at the request of Poroshenko.
“Finally, during the year of operation, the pipeline earned twice as much money for its owners as was invested in its purchase – up to $ 42 million. in the message.
In addition, according to the SBU, Medvedchuk told the details of the agreement in 2014-2015. mechanism for purchasing coal for the needs of Ukraine’s energy sector in the temporarily occupied territories of the so-called “L / DNR”. “In fact, the entire top of the state apparatus was involved, starting with the president and ending with ministers, law enforcement officers and those who directly implemented this scheme,” the SBU said, citing Medvedchuk.
The report states that the suspect named specific names of high-ranking officials involved in harming the interests of the state – former officials, former leadership of the National Bank, MPs and law enforcement officials.
“The security service continues investigative actions with the detainee to establish all the facts, circumstances, organizers and participants in the crimes committed,” the statement said.
The SBU reminds that the Ukrainian special services detained Medvedchuk in April after escaping from house arrest at the beginning of a full-scale Russian invasion on February 24.
In 2021, the SBU raised several suspicions against Medvedchuk. He is suspected of treason, aiding a terrorist organization and attempting to plunder national resources in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea.
One of the cases concerns the organization of illegal coal supply schemes from the temporarily occupied territories. Fuel was purchased for cash, and thus pro-Russian terrorists financed a total of more than UAH 200 million.
Another criminal case concerns the illegal seizure of Prykarpatzapadtrans LLC by a section of the state oil pipeline worth over UAH 200 million. In February 2021, the National Security and Defense Council returned the pipeline to state ownership.
OIL PIPELINE, POROSHENKO, PURCHASING COAL, SBU, ЛНР/ДНР, МЕДВЕДЧУК
Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Ivan Bakanov said that the operation to detain People’s Deputy of Ukraine, former co-chairman of the Opposition Platform for Life party Viktor Medvedchuk was carried out on behalf of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, according to the telegram channel of the special services on Tuesday evening.
“I thank all the SBU employees, in particular, the investigators and counterintelligence officers of the Ukrainian special services, who, following the instructions of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, proved their professionalism and carried out this lightning-fast and dangerous multi-level special operation to detain MP Medvedchuk for the time being. Not a single traitor will escape punishment and will answer according to the law of Ukraine, to the fullest extent, for all the crimes that his personal actions led to, including,” Bakanov said.
The SBU message is illustrated with a photograph of Medvedchuk in camouflage uniform and handcuffed. It also contains text that reads: “You can be a pro-Russian politician and work for an aggressor state for years. You can be a fugitive lately. You can even wear a Ukrainian military uniform to disguise. But will it help you get away from punishment? “Handcuffs are waiting for you. And traitors to Ukraine like you! Pro-Russian traitors and agents of the Russian special services, remember – your crimes have no statute of limitations. And shelter, wherever we find you!”
Earlier, on Tuesday evening, a photograph of Medvedchuk in military uniform and handcuffs appeared on the Telegram channel of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. It was accompanied by the text “A special operation was carried out thanks to the SBU. Well done! Details later.”
