Tetyana Rykhtun

After Russian occupation of Crimea in 2014, energy company «Sevastopolenergo», part of VS Energy, preserved it business and control over infrastructure in Sevastopol. VS Energy supplies electricity to the Russian Black Sea Fleet, other units of Russian Armed Forces and «ministries» of occupation government through its branches and Russian clones of Ukrainian legal entities.

This case seems to be separate from large case of VS Energy, now considered by the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine. The CJI covered it in details in the material «Case of VS Energy as Corruption Mirror of Ukrainian Politicians, Oligarchs and Law Enforcement». However, this case contains direct evidence, necessary for sanctioning Russian criminal group «luzhnikovskie» and confiscating their assets for the benefit of the Ukraine state (or through special confiscation within criminal investigation).

Since 2000s, Russian business group «luzhnikovskie», tightly connected with Russian criminal gangs and Federal Security Service (FSB), has gradually turned into malignant tumor embracing various economic spheres and threatening Ukrainian national security. High level Ukrainian corruption boosted its survival even after Russian invasion into Ukraine in 2014 and 2022. The group still controls Ukrainian objects of critical infrastructure – electricity distribution companies. It uses the scheme of fake de jure owners from EU countries and Ukraine. FSB stands behind each of them.

The Center of Journalist Investigations initiates a series of materials highlighting the consideration by the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine of the lawsuit of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine about nationalization of assets of sanctioned beneficiaries of company «VS Energy» founded by «luzhnikovskie». For the start, we will remind key aspects of this 25 years old story and its key figures.

У парламенті України оновили прихильників президента. Скандал навколо карального позбавлення мандатів народних депутатів Єгора Фірсова та Миколи Томенка поволі вщухає. Замість бунтівників у парламентську фракцію Блоку Петра Порошенка оперативно завели нових людей. Серед них – вимушений переселенець із Севастополя, 30-річний “ударівець” Дмитро Олександрович Білоцерковець. Хто він і за які заслуги став народним обранцем – у розслідуванні Тетяни…