Artem Shil's "Laundromat": How 365 STUDIO Is Faring After the Corruption Scandal
In the wake of the corruption scandals that have rocked the country in recent months, a fundamental question has arisen for Ukrainians: How do they really feel about corrupt officials? Why is there such high loyalty in the country toward businesses of all sizes that exist solely to launder stolen money and have nothing to do with the state’s economic stability? Ultimately, why, in a country at war, does the concept of reputation still not hold sway?
These questions—which are far from rhetorical—have returned to public debate in light of the case involving Artem Shil, a former advisor to the Office of the President, a former top official of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), and a figure implicated in numerous UA.NEWS investigations. On October 13, it became known that he had pleaded guilty to embezzlement at Ukrzaliznytsia and entered into a plea deal with investigators, meaning he named his accomplices and co-organizers of the scheme. Thanks to this, Shilo avoided prison, where he would have had to serve eight years.
Just as in the case involving high-ranking officials from the Office of the Prosecutor General providing protection to “office workers,” there is a “Musa” here as well. This role is played by Artem Shilo’s ex-wife, Iryna Popova, through whose beauty business—according to NABU investigators—she laundered the stolen millions. Interestingly, the publicity surrounding this case hasn’t stopped the 365 STUDIO chain of beauty salons from continuing to promote its brand through fashion ambassadors and collaborations, as if no corruption scandals had ever occurred.
UA.News explores the connections between embezzlement at Ukrzaliznytsia, pressure on honest businesses, “success” in the midst of war, and celebrities who promote brands without giving a second thought to the source of the money behind these projects.
Artem Shil’s
Family Assets
This corruption story first came to light in 2022, when journalists from Bihus.Info discovered that Artem Shil and his wife, Iryna Popova, owned $4 million worth of property, though it later turned out that the actual assets were worth more. Among the recorded properties was a building in central Kyiv, where the former SBU officer’s wife had opened a luxury beauty salon.
At the time, Shilo explained that he had acquired the assets through his business activities as a sole proprietor. After the journalistic investigation was published, the couple filed for divorce, and all assets were transferred to Shilo’s wife, Irina. Later, the former official also transferred his law firm to her. The SBU officer’s wife demonstrated remarkable business acumen during the full-scale war. Investigative journalists could not overlook this.
“His wife Irina’s sole proprietorship could have competed for the title of the capital’s most successful beauty salon. Irina expanded the chain under the brand name 365 STUDIO. The salons sprang up like mushrooms after a nuclear rain, despite everything: despite sound business sense, and even despite the founder’s constant complaints about how tough business was. Shilo himself said that the business was barely scraping by because of the war. The elite clientele had left the country. But at the same time, millions continued to flow through his wife’s sole proprietorship. There was enough money, among other things, to scale up the business and set up a large, lavish salon in an equally lavish residential complex in Obolon. “A business that’s barely surviving, yet expanding,” according to a report by Bihus.Info.
It’s worth recalling one fact here. From August 2022 to March 2024, Artem Shilo headed the Main Directorate for Counterintelligence Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Countering the Financing of Terrorism at the SBU and oversaw the economic counterintelligence division. During that period, Ukrainian businesses reported increased pressure from law enforcement agencies, particularly the SBU. The year 2023 set a record for the number of criminal cases opened against businesses—43,138 cases. This is the highest figure since 2012.
At the same time, the business empire of the former wife of a top SBU official “flourished, prospered, and knew no hardship.” Journalists note:
“During Shilo’s tenure as head of the SBU, the protection of economic security, in practice and without exaggeration, turned into endless pressure on businesses. At that time, news of raids and criminal cases against well-known entrepreneurs became significantly more frequent…While the business community was reeling from the nonstop charades, Shilo was raking in so much money with a shovel that he apparently didn’t even know where to put it all.”
According to the NABU and the SAP, money from corruption schemes was invested in luxury real estate in the UAE, Kyiv, and his wife’s beauty business.
What do “Ukrzaliznytsia” and 365 STUDIO
beauty salons have in common?
Investigators from NABU and the SAP established that a criminal group led by Artem Shilo embezzled funds intended for the purchase of cables and transformers for “Ukrzaliznytsia” and then laundered over 175 million hryvnias.
The group effectively became an informal “back office” for Ukrzaliznytsia, controlling procurement in exchange for “kickbacks” amounting to 5–7% of the contract value. The money was funneled out under the guise of “payments for beauty salon services.” In total, at least 16 people were involved in the scheme: Ukrzaliznytsia officials, lawyers, accountants, and relatives. Investigative journalists highlight the role of the 365 STUDIO network in this scheme: “Artem Shil’s wife’s beauty business funneled nearly 18 million hryvnias through her company specifically to launder money for Shil under the guise of revenue.” There you have it—an explanation of how a business can barely stay afloat yet be wildly successful. That’s what happens when your business is a ‘laundromat.’
It’s worth clarifying what money laundering is. It’s the process of transforming “dirty” assets obtained through crime into ones that appear entirely legitimate. The main idea is to allow the criminal to freely use these funds in real life without arousing suspicion from law enforcement agencies.
The classic scheme consists of three stages: introducing “dirty” money into the system; obscuring the trail through transactions; and returning it as “clean” income. This could involve a routine real estate purchase or converting the form of money (for example, converting cash into cryptocurrency). These schemes are not necessarily complex or convoluted.
Fictitious companies or real businesses with high cash turnover—such as restaurants, car washes, entertainment venues, and the like—are often used for “laundering.”
Dirty cash is simply added to the actual cash register of such an establishment. Reports show that the restaurant served twice as many customers as it actually did. Taxes are paid on this money, and it becomes fully legal net profit for the owner.
From time to time in Ukraine, participants in schemes that facilitate corruption, embezzlement of public funds, and the shadow economy are arrested and prosecuted. In particular, Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine establishes criminal liability for the legalization (laundering) of property obtained by criminal means.
365 STUDIO at the Center of High-Profile Scandals
It has been known since 2024 that Artem Shilo’s money was being laundered through 365 STUDIO beauty salons, following the former official’s arrest and searches of his home. At that time, a number of media outlets attempted to gain access to the salons to find out how Popova’s business actually operated. This led to scandals.
A TSN film crew shared their impressions of visiting the chain: “We were greeted at the salon by three employees, a counter selling cosmetics, and a bar serving alcoholic beverages. The cost of services is significantly higher than the city average. For example, a simple women’s haircut costs 1,500 hryvnias. A men’s haircut is 100 hryvnias more expensive. We didn’t see a single customer.”
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) confirmed the journalists’ suspicions: the chain of salons owned by Shil’s ex-wife, with no customers, was operating at a loss and served only as a front for money laundering. According to the accounting records and financial reports of Irina Popova’s business, significant funds were allegedly laundered through the purported sale of services and products from a number of cosmetic brands via the 365 STUDIO salons and an online store; but in reality, virtually all sales of cosmetics and services existed only on paper.
In the TSN report, journalists analyzed not only the business but also Irina Popova’s lifestyle and her spending habits, which were far from those of an ordinary businesswoman. They highlighted a Bulgari necklace worth nearly $50,000, as well as a ring from the same brand worth nearly $10,000. Judging by photos on social media, the entrepreneur likely acquired the jewelry during the years of full-scale war, after 2022.
Journalists also wondered how Irina Popova runs her business if she is constantly traveling abroad and on vacation.
365 STUDIO Is Trying to Clean Up Its Reputation
In the beauty industry, the reaction to the scandal surrounding 365 STUDIO’s corrupt funds was mixed. On the one hand, some bloggers on social media were outraged that beauty salons were operating as “money laundering operations.” On the other hand, some celebrities decided that laundering money stolen from the state isn’t really a problem—at least not for their reputations.
Despite the questionable origin of 365 STUDIO’s capital, the chain continues to participate in large-scale public events and collaborate with leading Ukrainian brands. Here are some of these partnerships from recent months.
In September 2026, entrepreneur Iryna Popova’s 365 STUDIO beauty salon served as the beauty partner for the COAT collection show by designer Katya Silchenko as part of Ukrainian Fashion Week. The participation of this controversial business in the event did not leave fashion enthusiasts indifferent.
Among 365 STUDIO’s partners is Sasha Vetrova (Vetrova), a makeup artist with whom the chain launched a large-scale collaboration in April 2026 (Autumn Rituals Menu / Make-up Evolution), as part of which a menu of services and an educational program (workshops and mentorship) were developed for the salon’s stylists.
The 365 STUDIO brand is also promoted by Nadiya Koverska—a women’s psychologist, actress, and TV journalist. She appears on the beauty salon’s social media with brief reflections designed to resonate with the audience.
Among 365 STUDIO’s recent collaborations are image makeovers for actors at the “Mur” Theater as part of preparations for the new play “Play, Mark.”
The network’s list of partners includes a number of beauty brands: SCULPTOR—a brand partner that regularly holds joint events and pop-ups; for example, it presented gift certificates for Extra Face during the salon’s birthday celebration; PureLift—a brand of innovative portable beauty gadgets and a partner in joint events, including 365’s Summer Beauty Brunch and others.
So, one of the takeaways from the high-profile corruption scandal is that 365 STUDIO, in the wake of the story involving Artem Shil’s illicit funds, is now attempting to “funnel” that money into whitewashing its own brand. Whether this will be possible depends on the maturity of Ukrainian society, including beauty industry customers. It depends on what kind of country they want to live in. After all, it’s hard to imagine that in an EU country, a chain of beauty salons suspected of laundering corrupt funds would actively promote its brand through brand ambassadors and collaborations. At the very least, this would pose a serious reputational risk for its partners.
