✍️column - readers write✍️ 📥 “A personnel comeback in the Volyn tax service: will a former leader return to power? A...

✍️column - readers write✍️

📥 “A personnel comeback in the Volyn tax service: will a former leader return to power?

A personnel comeback is brewing in the Volyn tax service that could raise a number of awkward questions for the leadership of the State Tax Service of Ukraine. According to available information, two former senior officials well known to the system — Svitlana Savchuk and Serhii Kondratiuk — are being considered for the top position at the Main Department of the STS in the Lviv region.

Both have already led the tax authorities in Volyn. Both have many years of experience in the fiscal system. And both left behind not only entries in their employment records, but also stories that at the time became the subject of high-profile publications.

Svitlana Savchuk is the former head of the Volyn tax service, whose tenure was accompanied by public accusations of possible patronage of certain business circles, scandals around vehicle customs clearance, and personnel conflicts. Her dismissal ended in a legal battle for reinstatement. Despite the controversy surrounding her activities, her name is again being mentioned among potential candidates to lead the Volyn tax service.

However, another potential candidate raises far more questions — Serhii Kondratiuk. A long-serving tax senior official whose declaration was found by the National Agency on Corruption Prevention to contain false information amounting to nearly 5,5 million hryvnias.

Almost 30 years in the tax system: leadership positions, influential connections, an extensive family business, and a career that survived more than one change of power. Serhii Kondratiuk belongs to a generation of officials for whom the tax service has long been a professional home. And now, with the question of his possible return, it is worth recalling not only his service record but also the stories that accompanied his time in power.

In March 2024 the National Agency on Corruption Prevention completed a full audit of Kondratiuk’s declaration for the year 2023.

The result — 5 484 940 hryvnias of false information.

In particular, use of an apartment of 57,8 sq. m in the Lviv residential complex Park Tower, valued at 2,87 million hryvnias, was not declared.

Kondratiuk explained that his son lived in the apartment. However, according to the audit’s findings, NACP established regular payments by the official for utilities, electricity, and internet, as well as other circumstances of actual use of the residence.

Another 2,61 million hryvnias — the value of a Volkswagen Touareg, 2023 year of manufacture, registered to the official’s son but, according to NACP’s conclusions, actually used by Kondratiuk himself.

Based on the audit’s results, the agency identified signs of a criminal offense under part 1 of article 366-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

And here the question arises: does the STS leadership regard false declaration of millions of hryvnias as a circumstance that must be taken into account when appointing someone to a leadership position?

Furthermore, Serhii Kondratiuk’s name has long appeared not only in personnel documents of the State Tax Service but also in high-profile publications about questionable wealth, political connections, and possible attempts to avoid accountability.

As early as January 2025 the Telegram channel “Seredych.info” published information about the audit results. As the outlet reported, Kondratiuk allegedly hoped to have the NACP’s conclusions overturned in an administrative court. Moreover, after obtaining the desired decision the official supposedly planned to initiate proceedings against the NACP employee who conducted the audit.

Special attention deserves the activity of the Volyn tax service in 2022, when Kondratiuk was acting head.

It was during that period that public accusations arose about facilitating the registration of risky tax invoices totaling more than 700 million hryvnias. There was also speculation about a possible reward of 1% of the corresponding transactions.

If the information about the preparation of one of these appointments is confirmed, the key questions will be addressed not so much to the candidates themselves as to the new leadership of the State Tax Service of Ukraine.”