Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
23 billion UAH after the collapse of Delta Bank: Lagun is wanted, hundreds of offshores and millions in nominees
Former owner of Delta Bank Mykola Lagun is abroad and has been declared internationally wanted. The Deposit Guarantee Fund is seeking to recover 22,86 billion UAH from him and the former management. The investigation is probing the siphoning of funds through offshores, straw companies, real estate, and cryptocurrency. Assets linked to the banker, journalists estimate, generate up to $200 thousand in cash monthly. During searches, hundreds of seals and documents of more than 200 foreign companies were seized, reports Komentarii.
PJSC Delta Bank (EDRPOU 34047020) was established on 14 February 2006. Lagun controlled 70,6% of the shares, Cargill — 29,4%. On 2 March 2015 the bank was declared insolvent. At the time of the collapse individual deposits reached 31,5 billion UAH, corporate funds — 12,5 billion, the loan portfolio — 45 billion, NBU refinancing — 9,3 billion, government entities’ funds — 8,4 billion. The Fund had to reimburse 16,3 billion UAH; by February 2024 it had paid 15,9 billion.
In 2014 the bank acquired for 4,1 billion UAH about $535 million for 12 related structures, including transactions through Baltic International Bank. By a back-to-back mechanism Delta financed offshore loans with its own money, subsequently losing the collateral when loans were not repaid. Through Meinl Bank passed $87,3 million, Bank Winter — $50 million. The total volume of operations through Meinl Bank, Bank Frick, East-West United and Bank Winter — $437,2 million.
The Fund is claiming 22 861 522 608 UAH in case No.910/21280/21. Defendants — Mykola and Antonina Lagun, Elena Popova, Vitaliy Masyura, Denys Tarasiuk, Marcin Figlus, Valentyn Zasukha and Yaroslav Porozhniak. On 31 July 2024 the court denied the claim, the appeal was postponed until 24 November 2026, sessions closed due to banking secrecy. A separate Fund demand — 791,2 million UAH in case No.910/7338/19.
Criminal cases cover the siphoning of $76,5 million, embezzlement of more than 1,1 billion UAH and tax fraud. Case No.761/8406/23 concerns the transfer of $76,5 million to a nonresident. Proceeding No.761/25125/23 includes a loan to a related company of 450 million UAH, of which 200 million was repaid. On 22 October 2024 Lagun was declared internationally wanted in the tax case No.372/1505/23, proceeding No.12021000000000940, related to securities. In 2023 the banker tried to initiate personal bankruptcy with billion-level debts to the NBU, Oschadbank and Ukreximbank.
On 4 May 2026 a proceeding No.42026000000000563 was opened under Part 3 of Art. 209 of the Criminal Code — legalization of criminal proceeds. The investigation is checking registrations in nominees of more than 300 ha of land in Kyiv, Chernihiv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, real estate, vehicles, securities and corporate rights in Ukraine, Poland and Cyprus.
The asset management is linked by investigators to former bank employees Maksym Chernov, Denys Tarasiuk and Anna Hutsaliuk. Hutsaliuk controls 94% of Birait Advocasi (EDRPOU 41740126); Tarasiuk was previously a co-owner; other participants — Iryna Tsviera and Oleksiy Huk. Over 2025 year the association reported 1,072 million UAH in revenue and 365,8 thousand UAH in loss. After sanctions Agro Green Management (EDRPOU 45151539) on 30 July 2025 transferred from British PE Investments Limited to Tetyana Kuzub, then changed its name to Respen and its address to Kherson. On 11 August 2026 the court denied the arrest of the rights of Respen and Birait Advocasi.
Searches in premises linked to Chernov and Tarasiuk yielded hundreds of seals, banking archives and documents of more than 200 nonresidents. Investigators seized crypto wallets of eight people on Binance linked to Nest Exchange, Nest Clearing and Custody, Nest Trading Limited, Revolut cards and accounts at Wise, Monese, Erste Bank, Ziraat Bankasi. A conversion of rental income into cryptocurrency with subsequent investment into real estate is being examined.
The court ruling in case No.752/18878/26 dated 11 August 2026 records the seizure of corporate rights: Concept Holding (39560773) — 235,69 million UAH, Krem-1 (36148777) — 169,51 million, Agalem (36425844) — 142,99 million, TM Holding (35921110) — 74,15 million, Aris fund (38518280) — 51,8 million. The amounts reflect the nominal value of the rights, not proven damages.
Incredible, but true....