Igor Pavlovsky's Court Interrogation
On February 19, 2026, Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court began interrogating former Deputy Defense Minister Igor Pavlovsky. He stands accused of embezzling 58 million Ukrainian hryvnias (approximately $1.5 million USD) during a 2016 procurement of fuel for the armed forces. The trial is ongoing. Pavlovsky, who served as deputy defense minister from April to October 2016, was responsible for coordinating the work of roughly 16 departments.
Igor Pavlovsky currently works as a military consultant for the state-owned Kyiv design bureau 'Luch' and lectures at the Drahomanov Ukrainian State University. During the interrogation, Pavlovsky stated he has known Volodymyr Hulevych since 2014 but denied any personal acquaintance with Boris Malysh and Volodymyr Trofymenko, the owner and director of the company that won the fuel supply tender.
The Charges and Legal Proceedings
According to the prosecution, the actions of the defendants led to inflated prices for petroleum products, causing state losses of 58 million hryvnias. Pavlovsky maintains it was physically impossible for him to know the details of over 3,700 individual fuel supply contracts. The court also reviewed a complaint from former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko regarding unlawful detention. The court partially upheld this complaint, establishing the actual time of the ex-minister's detention as 06:00 on February 15, 2026. However, the court rejected the defense's request to release Halushchenko from custody.
This case is part of a broader, high-stakes effort to combat corruption within Ukraine's defense sector, a critical issue for international partners providing military aid. The situation surrounding the investigation into defense sector embezzlement remains a significant topic in Ukraine, and further hearings may shed more light on the case's circumstances. This process could have substantial consequences for the reputation of state structures and impact public trust in government institutions. Amidst the ongoing war and the imperative of ensuring national security, the issues of transparency and accountability in defense spending have become even more urgent.