Charges have been filed against top SBU officials who allegedly provided protection for amber mining operations
The Office of the Prosecutor General has announced that charges have been filed against the deputy head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Main Directorate in Kyiv and the Kyiv Region, the deputy head of the SBU Regional Directorate in the Rivne Region, and a civilian intermediary.
This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General.
The suspects organized a large-scale scheme to pressure businesses, demanding illegal benefits in exchange for closing criminal cases and refraining from interfering in business operations. It has been documented that the suspects demanded $600,000 from businesses in exchange for “peaceful operation,” of which the suspects managed to receive over $322,000 in several installments during March 2026.
The Kyiv official used materials from criminal cases for illegal enrichment, enlisting a civilian to coordinate the transfer of cash. Specifically, after receiving the first $50,000, the businessmen were provided with a plan of action to change the classification of the case, and the second tranche of $250,000 was handed over at a restaurant in the Kyiv region. At the same time, the deputy head of the Rivne Regional Security Service, through the same intermediary, received over $22,000 for facilitating the unimpeded extraction of amber.
All three participants in the scheme were detained, and the funds were seized during the investigation. The suspects are charged with receiving an unlawful benefit on an especially large scale, which carries a penalty of up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property. While Russia attempts to undermine Ukraine’s internal stability, law enforcement agencies continue to purge their ranks of corrupt officials who exploit their positions for personal gain amid the war. The issue of imposing pretrial detention on the detainees is currently being decided.
We previously reported that Oleg Tokarchuk—deputy head of the SBU Main Directorate in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast—Igor Brika—deputy head of the SBU Directorate in Rivne Oblast—and Andriy Avdievsky—the intermediary and “cashier” of the scheme—were detained in connection with this case.
