Charges Against Serhiy Pashynsky
Former Ukrainian parliamentarian Serhiy Pashynsky faces allegations of forming a criminal organization and abusing his official position. Investigators claim the misappropriation of 100,000 metric tons of petroleum products belonging to businessman Serhiy Kurchenko caused losses of 817 million hryvnias. Notably, the initial damage estimate in the case was 967 million hryvnias, but after a comprehensive forensic commodity and economic examination, it was reduced to 817 million hryvnias. Pashynsky's lawyer, Yevgen Hrushovets, argues this figure is inflated, estimating actual damages at no more than 400 million hryvnias.
Case Details and the Criminal Organization
The petroleum products in question were slated for nationalization and stored at the Odesa Oil Refinery, the Odesa-Zastava-1 and Odesa-Zastava-2 stations, the premises of the All-Ukrainian Industrial Union LLC (Kherson), and the oil depot of the Vostok LLC (Vasylkiv, Kyiv region). According to investigators, the criminal organization included:
- managers of the state enterprise Ukrtransnaftoprodukt and subordinates of Tyshchenko's firms;
- former director of the state enterprise, Volodymyr Gavrylov, who is a suspect.
It is known that Volodymyr Gavrylov's wife, Lidiya Gavrylova, was then head of the State Financial Inspection under a quota from the People's Front party.
Serhiy Pashynsky, who ranked 12th on the People's Front list for the 8th convocation of the Verkhovna Rada, has signed a plea agreement with the prosecutor and expressed willingness to make a donation in support of the army. The amount of this donation may exceed the 140-160 million hryvnias already paid by Serhiy Tyshchenko. The case file comprises approximately 200 volumes, and the pre-trial investigation concluded in early 2025. The alleged crime took place in 2014.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that the case materials include expert analyses of Kurchenko's petroleum products. According to Pashynsky's lawyer,
"I will say more: the case file contains expert conclusions on Kurchenko's petroleum products. According to that data, the declared A-95 gasoline was actually A-92, and the diesel fuel, in terms of quality, resembled water."He also noted that no one has seen documents regarding the origin of these petroleum products, which entered Ukraine through so-called black market schemes. It is reported that the state enterprise Ukrtransnaftoprodukt sold the entire raw material stock at reduced prices to a company controlled by the scheme's organizer, funneling part of the proceeds into accounts of other controlled business entities, while not a single hryvnia reached the state budget.
This case is significant in the context of Ukraine's anti-corruption efforts, as it highlights potential abuses at high levels of power and their consequences for the state budget. The situation surrounding the petroleum products and their nationalization underscores the challenges of controlling state resources and conducting business amid legal violations. The expert findings and the positions of lawyers in this case could become key elements in future developments and determine the fate of the accused.
In light of Pashynsky's recent admission of guilt, it is essential to examine the broader implications of the Kurchenko-linked oil scandal, which has revealed significant corruption within Ukrainian politics. The case highlights the interconnectedness of political figures and business interests, raising questions about accountability and future reforms in the country.