Former official to pay 1.1 billion hryvnias in petroleum products case
The High Anti-Corruption Court approved a plea agreement with the former acting head of the Presidential Administration in a case involving the misappropriation of seized petroleum products. Under the terms of the agreement, he must transfer over 1.1 billion hryvnias to the state and to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as well as pay fines. The defendant fully admitted his guilt and agreed to provide incriminating testimony to investigators.
The High Anti-Corruption Court approved a plea agreement with the former acting head of the Presidential Administration in a case involving the misappropriation of seized petroleum products. The case pertains to events that took place between March and June 2014. According to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), the then-high-ranking official used his official position to misappropriate seized petroleum products.
As a result, the state suffered significant losses. An expert assessment conducted during the investigation determined the amount of damage to be 817 million hryvnias. Earlier, when the scheme was first uncovered, NABU had estimated the losses at 967 million hryvnias; however, the amount was revised following the expert assessment.
NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) announced the exposure of this scheme in February 2024. According to the investigation, the case involved 97,000 metric tons of petroleum products that had been seized by a court in 2014. The then-acting head of the Presidential Administration, together with an oil industry entrepreneur, according to investigators, formed a criminal organization and orchestrated a scheme to seize this property.
The seized petroleum products were subsequently transferred to a state-owned enterprise. According to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), individuals under their control were appointed to leadership positions there. The fuel was then sold at below-market prices to a company linked to the scheme’s organizer. According to the investigation, part of the proceeds was transferred to the accounts of other controlled enterprises.
In this case, the former official was charged with abuse of office resulting in serious consequences, as well as participation in a criminal organization. Under the terms of the plea agreement, he fully admitted his guilt under Part 2 of Article 364 and Part 1 of Article 255 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. He also agreed to cooperate with the investigation and provide incriminating testimony.
Where the Money Should Go
Under the agreement, the majority of the funds are to be allocated to the state budget and for the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The convicted man has committed to reimbursing the state 600 million hryvnias. These funds are to be transferred to the general fund of the state budget in installments over two and a half years after the verdict becomes final. He must transfer another 400 million hryvnias to the “Come Back Alive” Foundation. The money may be transferred directly to the fund’s account or used to purchase weapons according to a list agreed upon with the fund. In this case, the weapons must be transferred to the fund or directly to military units at the fund’s direction.
Six months are allotted for the fulfillment of this part of the agreement after the verdict becomes final. The defendant must also transfer another 100 million hryvnias to the “Sternenko Community” Charitable Foundation. This money must be used directly to purchase weapons for the Ukrainian Defense Forces. This must be completed within 30 days after the verdict becomes final. Thus, a total of 1.1 billion hryvnias, under the terms of the agreement, is to go to the state budget and to support the needs of the Ukrainian military.
In addition, the court imposed a fine of 850,000 hryvnias on the convicted man as his primary punishment. He must pay an additional 17,000 hryvnias as a supplementary penalty. He was also barred from holding office in state or local government bodies for one year.
Why the property was not confiscated
The court did not order the confiscation of property. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) explained that this additional penalty under Article 255 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine was only introduced in June 2020. In other words, this provision came into effect after the events for which the former official was convicted. By law, a penalty cannot be applied to a person if the relevant provision was not in effect at the time the crime was committed.
The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) reviewed the terms of the plea agreement and concluded that it complies with the requirements of the law and the interests of society. The court subsequently approved it in its verdict. At the same time, compliance with the terms of the agreement is mandatory. If the convicted person fails to comply with the terms of the agreement, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office may petition the High Anti-Corruption Court to overturn the verdict. In that case, the case may be reconsidered under the general procedure.
What is known about the case
NABU and the SAP notified the parties involved in this case of their status as suspects in February 2024. At that time, investigators stated that representatives of government agencies and the business sector were involved in the scheme. In total, seven suspects were implicated in the case. In February 2025, NABU and the SAP announced the completion of the pretrial investigation. At that time, law enforcement officials noted that the amount of damages to the state, as definitively established by expert analysis, totaled 817 million hryvnias.
This is not the first plea agreement in this case. On September 5, 2025, the High Anti-Corruption Court (VAKS) approved a plea agreement with another defendant. He was sentenced to eight years in prison but was released from serving his sentence with a three-year probationary period. He was also required to transfer 40 million hryvnias to the Defense Forces and pay 110 million hryvnias to the state budget within three years after the verdict became final. This was reported by NABU.
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