The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine has reported the unmasking of an organized criminal group that has been operating since 2022. The group, led by an influential businessman in collaboration with the first deputy general director of the Kharkiv Heating Networks, used the state of war as an excuse to avoid open tenders when purchasing materials for the city’s reconstruction.
According to the investigation, the enterprise purchased materials through intermediaries at inflated prices, exceeding their actual value by two times. As a result, the group members embezzled 159.5 million hryvnias, some of which were funds from an international bank allocated for the city’s infrastructure projects.
Currently, seven individuals, including the leader of the criminal group, the head of the Kharkiv Heating Networks, and other accomplices, are being charged in the case. They all face liability under the articles of the Ukrainian Criminal Code, including misappropriation of budget funds and falsification of documents.
