Artem Shilo is no longer “reachable”: following inquiries from UA.News, he personally went to the High Anti-Corruption Court

The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) ruled to consolidate the case files concerning Artem Shilo, a former adviser to the Office of the President and former SBU official, and another defendant in the case, Kostyantyn Melnyk, with regard to new charges.

This time, the defendant Artem Shilo decided to forgo the usual remote format and appeared in person at the HACC hearing. Previously, UA.News journalists had approached Presiding Judge Vira Mykhailenko in connection with Court Case No. 991/10186/26 regarding Shilo’s consistent participation in hearings via videoconference. 

During the court hearing on September 11, the court considered a motion by the defense to consolidate the case with another proceeding. The prosecutor from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) and the defense opposed the motion, emphasizing that it would prolong the proceedings, after which the court denied the request.

The High Anti-Corruption Court also received a new indictment against Artem Shil and Kostiantyn Melnyk, along with a plea agreement. According to the prosecutor, the new charges relate to Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (legalization (laundering) of property obtained by criminal means).

To provide the court with all necessary procedural documents and to coordinate positions regarding the plea agreement, Judge Mykhailenko adjourned the hearing until September 17.

What is Artem Shilo known for?

As a reminder, Artem Shilo, who has been the subject of investigative reports by UA.News, has been implicated in several high-profile cases.

As established by the investigation conducted by NABU and the SAP, the organized group under his leadership operated in two main cases, effectively becoming an informal “back office” for Ukrainian Railways (UZ), which controlled procurement in exchange for “kickbacks”:

• The Cable Scheme (losses of 140 million UAH): During 2021–2022, Shilo’s group created conditions for companies controlled by former MP Viktor Bondar’s group to win tenders; these companies supplied cable and wire products at significantly inflated prices.
• Transformer scheme (losses of 100 million UAH): In 2022–2024, the “back office” facilitated the procurement of power transformers through a company controlled by a Belarusian citizen with ties to the Russian Federation. To weed out competitors with cheaper offers, Shilo—while serving as first deputy head of an SBU department—personally arranged for an official letter to be sent to Ukrzaliznytsia regarding an alleged “threat to national security.”

Beauty salons and luxury real estate: how the funds were laundered

In total, through criminal schemes, the group’s leader laundered over 175 million hryvnia (the initial suspicion cited 155 million hryvnia). The money was funneled through front individuals and legal entities under the guise of “payments for beauty salon services,” after which luxury penthouses, apartments, houses, and commercial real estate were purchased for individuals under their control.

As part of the investigation, law enforcement officials secured the seizure of the suspects’ property and assets totaling more than 1.4 billion hryvnias.

Shila was dismissed from his position as head of the SBU’s Main Directorate for Counterintelligence Protection of State Interests in the Sphere of Economic Security in the spring of 2024—after charges were filed against him. In addition to corruption at Ukrzaliznytsia, the media linked the official’s name to pressure on businesses and the easing of detention conditions in pretrial detention centers for Ihor Kolomoyskyi.

The Shadow Bosses of “Ukrzaliznytsia”: A Consortium of a Security Official, a Member of Parliament, and a Businessman

According to a UA.News investigation, a coalition of politicians, security services, and front companies was behind the large-scale embezzlement schemes at “Ukrzaliznytsia.” Three individuals served as the architects of this corruption empire:

• Artem Shilo (a former SBU employee and former member of the Presidential Office)—the “gray cardinal” and head of the “back office,” who used his influence within the SBU to ensure the elimination of competitors;
• Viktor Bondar (Member of Parliament, former Minister of Transportation)—responsible for providing political cover and overseeing the operations of controlled companies (including the “Ukrkabel” plant);
• Volodymyr Kotlyar (businessman)—an intermediary responsible for registering shell companies, handling documentation, and distributing financial flows.

Profits were distributed clearly: two-thirds went to Kotlyar’s companies, and one-third to Bondar’s organization. In total, at least 16 people were involved in the schemes: Ukrzaliznytsia officials, lawyers, accountants, as well as those in their inner circle (for example, MP Galina Bondar’s mother, in whose name a number of specialized enterprises were registered).

Who else is mentioned in the case files

During the court hearing on pretrial measures, prosecutors presented transcripts of phone conversations and testimony mentioning high-ranking officials at the very top:

• Leadership of the Office of the President: The case materials contain remarks stating that Shilo “visits Tatarov with Yermak,” while MP Bondar himself complained that he had been ordered to resolve all matters with the Office of the President exclusively through Shilo.
• Former Officials and UZ Executives: In 2019, MP Bondar appealed to then-Minister of Infrastructure Vladyslav Krykliy with a request to cancel open tenders for cable procurement for UZ. The former head of Ukrzaliznytsia, Oleksandr Kamyshin, was also mentioned in connection with these ties.

How the Schemes Worked: A 5–7% Kickback and a “Belarusian” Transformer

The investigation established that the Bondar-Kotlyar group had been working for Ukrzaliznytsia since 2019, and in the fall of 2021, Shilo’s “back office” joined them. The parties agreed: Shilo, using his influence within the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), would guarantee wins in tenders at prices inflated by 30–60%, and Bondar would pay him a kickback of 5–7% of the contract amounts.

In the case of the transformers, a front company controlled by a Belarusian citizen with ties to Russia was brought in. It purchased equipment in Uzbekistan and resold it to Ukrzaliznytsia at double the markup. Shilo personally blocked competitors offering cheaper products by citing a letter from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) regarding “threats to national security”—while at the same time completely “failing to notice” the Russian-Belarusian connection to the supplier under his control.

Preventive Measures and Legal Charges

• Artem Shilo: suspected under Part 3 of Article 27, Part 5 of Article 191 (organizing embezzlement on an especially large scale), and Part 1 of Article 263 (illegal handling of weapons). After his arrest in April 2024, he was released on bail of 30 million hryvnias.
• Viktor Bondar: suspected under Part 3 of Article 27 and Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. In February 2025, he was remanded in custody with bail set at 100 million UAH.
• Volodymyr Kotlyar: faces similar charges (Part 3 of Article 27, Part 5 of Article 191) and a pretrial detention order with bail set at 100 million UAH.

Dubai apartments, a “sham” divorce, and mobilization: how the Shil case was stalled

The NABU and SAPO completed their pre-trial investigation into the “Ukrzaliznytsia” case back in the spring of 2025, but the process of holding the suspects accountable was procedurally delayed. This may have been to allow those involved in the case to minimize the legal consequences and save their assets. For example, the transfer of assets to Dubai: according to journalistic investigations (in particular, by the “Schemes” project), between December 2021 and June 2022, Shila’s wife, Iryna, purchased 9 propertieselite real estate properties (8 apartments and a hotel room in the Jumeirah Gate Tower) in Dubai for a total of approximately $4.3 million. While investigative actions and procedural measures were ongoing, these properties were successfully resold in their entirety, and the funds were transferred out.

The suspect’s ex-wife left Ukraine, and the assets were transferred to third parties. Experts assessed the sham divorce and the registration of beauty salons and hotel rooms as a premeditated scheme to launder and hide funds diverted from government procurement.

Information also circulated in the media about Shil’s intentions to enlist in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Under current law, the mobilization of a defendant is grounds for suspending legal proceedings against him, which allows the sentencing process to be “put on hold” and helps to dampen public attention surrounding the case.

Despite his high-profile arrest in the spring of 2024 and the revelation of losses totaling over 240 million hryvnias, Shilo was released on bail of 30 million hryvnias.

The BEB’s Shadow Supervisor: “Mindich’s Files” and Shilo’s Coercive Influence

In parallel with the investigation into “Ukrzaliznytsia,” Artem Shilo’s name came to the fore in another high-profile scandal involving the unofficial control of the Bureau of Economic Security (BES).

According to Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a member of parliament and deputy chair of the Verkhovna Rada’s Finance and Tax Committee, Shilo acted as an “external supervisor” of the BEB and coordinated the preparation of analytical materials for third parties. The MP informed the public that during searches of businessman Timur Mindich’s office, dossiers containing classified information were discovered. In terms of form, structure, and metadata, these “files” fully corresponded to the standards of the BEB’s analytical department under its previous leadership. The MP’s investigation indicates that Shilo, while holding concurrent positions at the SBU and the Office of the President, used the state’s law enforcement and analytical agencies as a private tool for gathering compromising information and exerting pressure.

New Allegations: Surveillance of Journalists, Dossiers on NABU, and the “Midas” Case

In early 2026, a new high-profile scandal erupted surrounding Artem Shilo. Based on materials from the Temporary Investigative Commission (TIC) of the Verkhovna Rada and appeals from lawmakers, law enforcement launched an investigation into his alleged role as the coordinator of illegal surveillance of journalists and the collection of confidential data (Article 163 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—violation of the secrecy of correspondence, punishable by up to 7 years in prison).

According to the “NABU tapes,” Shilo is identified as the organizer of a collection of private dossiers discovered in business circles. A total of 527 files were identified, containing confidential information on 15 NABU investigators (who were investigating corruption in the energy sector), as well as analytical data on well-known journalists and public figures.

Among the journalists and investigators on whom information regarding their private lives and professional activities was collected are Yuriy Butusov, Yuriy Nikolov, Marina Ansiforova, Volodymyr Fedorin, Stanislav Rechynskyi, Olga Chaika, Andriy Kulikov, as well as the late Volodymyr Mostovyi and Oleksiy Shalayskyi.

NABU detectives investigated Shil’s involvement not only in surveillance but also in abuse of office (Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and the unauthorized disclosure of restricted-access information from the government’s automated systems.

At the same time, the Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court upheld the 9-year prison sentence with confiscation of property for attorney Artem Shil (who shares the defendant’s full name or is a close associate of his) and officials of the State Fiscal Service in the case involving the extortion of a $36,000 bribe.

Fintech Under the “Cover”: How Shil’s Deputies Covered Up a $1 Million Scheme at 4bill

As UA.News investigators discovered, the influence of Artem Shil and his power group extended to the electronic payment systems market as well. According to materials from the Main Investigative Directorate of the National Police (criminal cases No. 757/7812/24-k and No. 12024000000000202), law enforcement officials blocked an investigation into large-scale corporate raiding and fraud to benefit fintech entities under their control.

The essence of the financial scheme: In 2023, an internal audit of the international payment system 4bill exposed top manager Dmytro Rukhin and his accomplices in embezzling over $1 million. The perpetrators siphoned off working capital, manipulated merchant rates, transferred money to relatives’ cards, and subsequently carried out a hostile takeover of a regional branch, launching their own brand (LaFinteca) using the stolen assets and creating a network of shell companies in Spain and Peru.

Despite criminal cases being filed under Parts 3 and 4 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (fraud on an especially large scale), the suspects managed to avoid punishment. When representatives of the victimized company attempted to block the activities of the suspects’ accomplices (the CrossPay/Corytech group), Shil’s associates intervened. According to sources at 4bill, Shil’s deputy, named Oleksiy, contacted the management of the victimized company directly and demanded that they “leave CrossPay alone,” since their business is under the personal “protection” and patronage of the SBU’s counterintelligence department.

Compensation of 215 million, agreements with VAKS, and the wife’s “backroom” schemes

In parallel with the court proceedings in the criminal cases, anti-corruption agencies and the corporate security department of JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia” took measures to recover the embezzled state funds:

• According to the SAPO, during 2025, 215 million UAH was transferred from private companies and individuals to the accounts of “Ukrzaliznytsia” and the state budget as compensation for damages caused by the actions of the “back office.” In total, since 2023, thanks to the efforts of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), the SAPO, and Ukrzaliznytsia, over 336 million hryvnias have been recovered, of which nearly 120 million hryvnias were allocated to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
• In June 2025, the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) approved two plea agreements with defendants in the case involving fraud at Ukrzaliznytsia—a representative of the private firm “Uzelektro,” Denis Khomyakov and the director of the same company, Natalia Koltasheva.
• The investigation also found that a portion of the more than 150 million hryvnias obtained from corrupt procurement, was laundered under the guise of payments for services provided by the “365 STUDIO” chain of beauty salons (owned by Shil’s wife) and was also used to purchase luxury real estate in the Lypky neighborhood of Kyiv.

Special Confiscation: The Battle for $4.3 Million in Dubai Assets

A separate track in countering the consequences of Artem Shil’s group’s activities involves the legal efforts of anti-corruption agencies to recover and dispose of assets transferred abroad.

According to NABU’s responses to inquiries from UA.News journalists, the suspect’s luxury assets abroad are subject to special confiscation measures:

• These include nine luxury real estate properties in Dubai (UAE) with a total value of approximately $4.3 million (eight apartments and a hotel room in the Jumeirah Gate Tower 2 complex), which were registered in the name of Shil’s then-wife, Irina, between 2021 and 2022.
• Although attempts were made between 2022 and 2024 to quickly resell this property to complicate the seizure process, NABU and the SAP, using international tools and leaked data (notably from OCCRP), traced the original source of these funds to corrupt schemes involving “Ukrzaliznytsia” tenders.

Shining on Corruption Millions: Shil’s Ex-Wife’s Salon Takes Ukrainian Fashion Week by Storm

Incidentally, the “365 STUDIO” beauty salon chain owned by entrepreneur Iryna Popova recently served as the beauty partner for the “the COAT” collection show by designer Katya Silchenko as part of Ukrainian Fashion Week. It may seem like a typical social event and a successful collaboration, but this beauty business has a distinct whiff of corruption—it is directly linked to the use of dirty money from her ex-husband, Artem Shil.

Shil’s ex-wife, Irina Popova

Such a juicy detail did not leave fashion enthusiasts indifferent, especially against the backdrop of the country’s seemingly endless corruption scandals. Despite the questionable origins of “365 STUDIO’s” capital, the chain continues to seamlessly integrate into large-scale public events and collaborate with leading Ukrainian brands.

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