Judges from the Kyiv Commercial Court have been notified of suspicion for high treason after allegedly helping Russia’s Defence Ministry illegally recover funds from Ukraine’s state budget. The funds were claimed to cover a non-existent debt dating back to 1996-1997, involving the supply of natural gas. The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) revealed that the case had been initiated under the leadership of former Ukrainian officials in 2011, who played a key role in executing this unlawful scheme.
The SBI reports that in 2011, Russia’s Ministry of Defence presented a false claim to the Ukrainian government, demanding the repayment of $405.5 million for an alleged debt that Ukraine had no obligation to settle. The debt was tied to a commercial transaction from years earlier, unrelated to Ukraine’s state obligations. Despite this, Ukrainian officials at the time, including a former President, Prime Minister, and a judge from the Kyiv Economic Court, were accused of supporting the fraudulent claim.
To make the scheme appear legitimate, Russian authorities sought a legal decision in Ukraine’s courts, and a judge from the Kyiv Commercial Court helped approve the payment. In August 2012, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs filed a lawsuit against Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers in the Kyiv Commercial Court, leading to the recovery of more than UAH 3 billion from the state budget. Despite the change in Ukraine’s leadership following Russia’s aggression, the court decision was not immediately overturned, and the money was not returned to Ukraine.
The investigation revealed that these funds were eventually used to finance the Russian Federation’s military activities, directly contributing to the ongoing aggression against Ukraine. The SBI, in coordination with the Prosecutor General’s Office, has now moved to charge the involved judges and former officials with high treason.
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