Kyiv institute caught assisting Russia repair its oil refineries – SBU Report

Source: Security Service of Ukraine 

The Security Service of Ukraine, SBU,  has exposed the managers of a major Kyiv-based oil research and design institute for aiding Russia in restoring its oil refineries affter Ukrainian drone strikes.

Among those detained are the chairman of the board, two department heads, the chief engineer, and one additional engineer from the institute.

Investigators revealed that the suspects were helping Russia repair oil refineries that had been significantly damaged by Ukrainian attacks. At the request of Russian officials, they prepared project documentation for the reconstruction of three major refineries.

The total value of the contracts with Russia was nearly half a billion hryvnias (approximately $13.5 million USD). This included remote support from the institute’s project team for the technological processes involved in repairing and fine-tuning the damaged facilities in Russia.

During searches of the offices and homes of the suspects in Kyiv, Lviv, and Kharkiv, authorities seized mobile phones, computer systems, laptops, flash drives, and handwritten notes containing evidence of their collaboration with the aggressor state.

Based on the evidence, SBU investigators have charged five senior staff members with aiding the aggressor state under Article 111-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Four of the individuals are currently in custody, with the investigation ongoing. If convicted, they face up to 12 years in prison and asset confiscation.

Amendments to Ukraine’s enforcement proceedings legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, have entered into force. Among other measures, the reform provides for the automated lifting of attachments on bank accounts immediately after debts in enforcement proceedings have been fully settled. The main practical benefit for citizens is the complete elimination of the need to contact an enforcement officer in person and wait for paper decisions once the debt has been paid.

The 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade has received another batch of supplies as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. This time, the military received seven quad bikes and four mobile shower and bath units.

In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.

Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.

Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.