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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
A large-scale scheme of replacing Asian labels with invented European brands successfully migrated from Cherkasy to hospitals in the Lviv, Khmelnytskyi and Korsun regions. Despite criminal proceedings, dismissals of officials, and fines from the Antimonopoly Committee, the operators continue to sell ordinary Chinese rehabilitation gloves with markups of hundreds of percent, adding an ordinary office desk and a sticker of a “British” brand. Even ceremonial openings of departments attended by government officials do not prevent local budgets from spending millions on items that cost only hundreds of thousands of hryvnias on the Chinese market.
Two years ago journalists from the Cherkasy outlet «18000» already reported on equipment branded Vizion that was sold to Ukrainian hospitals with public funds at prices several times higher than the cost of Chinese equivalents. Since the first time the medical gloves were purchased with local budget funds—initially supposedly for children’s rehabilitation, and later for veterans and pensioners—we suspected they could not cost a hundred thousand dollars. When we looked more closely at the procurement, we found it was fake. We paid tens of thousands of dollars not for unique features but for a Polish brand label stuck over Asian labels — Zepu, Spirit and Sirebo.
Since then suppliers have changed, law enforcement opened a criminal case, those involved were dismissed, but in 2026 year we can already say with confidence: we were right. At Lexus prices budgets were sold ordinary Chinese gloves. Journalist Artur Chemyrys of «18000» tells the story of the scheme, which likely hasn’t disappeared but simply changed its name, and the people connected to it.
How it all began: the investigation into Vizion in 2024 year
In 2024 year «18000» exposed a scheme by which tens of millions of hryvnias were siphoned from local budgets through procurement of expensive medical devices allegedly from the Polish brand Vizion.
As we and later investigators established, this equipment was manufactured in China and cost far less than what was paid for it in Cherkasy and other cities. In some cases the operators would stick their own brand over the original manufacturer’s label, and in our case they took a Chinese set including a glove and a small screen, added a desk, a chair, a basic computer, and sold it with a large markup.
The original manufacturer’s set cost several hundred thousand hryvnias. After such “upselling” with office furniture, its price rose from several hundred thousand to five million.
It is worth noting that such a business is unlikely without the involvement of the medical personnel who buy this equipment, as well as the politicians and officials who make the procurement decisions.
After the publicity: dismissals, court, and payment two years later
Within two years everyone involved in the scandalous purchases in Cherkasy was dismissed. The medical official who signed the procurements and the officials who lobbied for and oversaw them also left their posts.
At the time, Mayor Anatoliy Bondarenko promised the city would not pay for this equipment. However, according to medical staff, the money still had to be transferred. The reason was a court decision siding with the supplier: the company fulfilled the contract, and Cherkasy medics signed acceptance certificates for the goods, even though deputies never allocated funds for those purchases.
Every municipal medical institution has a founder—the local council. It sets the rules of operation for the enterprise and, ultimately, is responsible for procurement. Deputies adopt the budget, and the directors of institutions implement the voting decisions. But in the glove case it turned out things could happen the other way around: a director buys something without allocated funds, and deputies are forced to carry out the whim.
And now a logical question arises: the devices that were delivered back in 2024 year, but legally paid for only in 2026—does anyone actually need them?
It would seem the story should have ended after the investigation. The Antimonopoly Committee found the supplier guilty of anti-competitive coordinated actions during the tenders and included it on the list of business entities temporarily prohibited from participating in any public procurement. In addition, law enforcement opened a criminal case.
Extract from the Unified State Register of Court Decisions
That should have put an end to it, but the opposite happened. The scheme did not disappear—it simply moved to other cities, in some places changed suppliers, and began seeking new buyers.
“Vizion” or “Axonic” in Korsun: what links these companies
Although the procurement situation became public in 2024 year, Korsun medics at the end of 2025 year still ordered rehabilitation equipment from the Vizion brand. After a conversation between journalist Artur Chemyrys and the hospital’s chief physician, it seems they drew conclusions. The Chinese equipment still hasn’t been paid for. However, the Korsun hospital decided to buy devices from another brand, which are likely not much better than the previous ones.
“The first thing we pay attention to is that the letter is dated 16 May 2026 year and bears a round stamp. That looks more like a letter from a Ukrainian company, not a British one, where such stamps are not customary. Also, if you check the British register, this company was liquidated as early as 2025 year for failure to file documents. It’s registered at a virtual office address. The cost of registering such a company until it passes verification is a few hundred pounds sterling,” says Antonina Volokotrub, an analyst with the Anti‑Corruption Center.
Conversation with Antonina Volokotrub
Journalists from «18000» went to Korsun to speak in person with the procuring parties and to see the relevant documents.
“You signed the contract on 20 July to purchase equipment from the supposedly British firm Axonic?” asked journalist Artur Chemyrys of the chief physician.
“So what?” the doctor replied.
“This company was liquidated back in 2025 year.”
“That’s a question for the lawyer, is Vitaliy here?”
“How are we supposed to verify that?”
“Then why do you request a document if you cannot verify it?”
“That is Vitaliy’s authority.”
“You had a tender concluded on 20 July.”
“Well, probably.”
“Why do you request a document that you cannot verify? Don’t you have an authorized procurement officer? Who is it?”
“Well, we’ll sort this situation out.”
The “British firm” offered Korsun medics the Axonic Lİmp rihab duo device for 300 thousand hryvnias. We immediately found the same device marketed as Vizion MEDBIKE 1S and the much cheaper Chinese original costing only a few tens of thousands of hryvnias.
Specification to the Supply Contract for the “Axonic Lİmp rihab duo”
The scheme is clear: cheap Asian equipment gets a Western European brand, but this time not a Polish company’s brand but a British one that was liquidated for violations as early as 2025 year.
New brand — old scheme
The Kyiv company AKSONIK, which sells equipment under the British brand Axonic, was registered in 2023 year. Its owner is a resident of Okhtyrka, Sumy region, Oleksandr Stavytskyi. In a comment to «18000» he denied the liquidation of the British company despite information available in official registers.
Conversation between Artur Chemyrys and the owner of the Kyiv company AKSONIK, Oleksandr Stavytskyi
The Axonic equipment interested not only medics in Korsun but also hospitals in other Ukrainian regions, including Volyn. While in Cherkasy they tried to buy the Polish Vizion, in some places they attempt to buy the British Axonic, and the “Polish” brand hasn’t disappeared: it’s offered where it’s less known.
For example, Minister of Health Viktor Liashko, accompanied by influential MPs and local politicians and officials, opened a new rehabilitation department in a Khmelnytskyi hospital featuring Vizion‑branded equipment. However, the Khmelnytskyi medics actually bought this equipment not from Prommed Technologies, but from Slavuta Shik Modern.
Opening of the rehabilitation department in the Khmelnytskyi hospital
According to open databases, that company picked up the dropped Vizion banner and carried it on across Ukraine. Khmelnytskyi medics paid almost 10 million hryvnias for this equipment.
Millions for Khmelnytskyi: overpayment for Chinese equivalents
The Khmelnytskyi hospital has a VZN I‑ReHand V1 device, mentioned in the previous material by «18000», likely the Zepu SG1. The same equipment is in Cherkasy, but with a Vizion sticker. The price for the device with the sticker is 1,5 million hryvnias, and without it half as much—670 thousand hryvnias.
The Khmelnytskyi hospital also purchased a VZN DRIVE STATION G3 for 1,2 million hryvnias. That is also a Zepu, but the SG3 model is a third cheaper—800 thousand hryvnias. A VZN SLING for 2 million hryvnias. Again, it’s obvious we are dealing with Chinese goods, although it is fairly difficult to determine because of the large number of analogs. The one thing they share is a significantly lower price.
Two companies in one criminal case: what investigators established
A court ruling indicates a connection between the former suppliers who delivered equipment to Cherkasy and the new ones who brought it to Khmelnytskyi. It was issued as part of the investigation into the criminal case opened after the publication by «18000» in 2024 year.
Court ruling
Investigators note the companies had a common contractor‑supplier. It’s telling that Prommed Technologies and Slavuta Shik Modern appeared in the same criminal proceeding.
The current owner of that company is Kyiv resident Hanna Shiyan, although «18000» was unable to contact her.
Why does the scheme work?
Why do medical institutions continue to buy expensive Vizion and Axonic devices? Two sides can be distinguished in the scheme: first, the customer who issues an order at a significantly inflated price; second, potential bidders who could offer cheaper goods but for some reason do not. Why? The question is rhetorical and may indicate possible signs of a cartel conspiracy. Special authorities should investigate the case.
Some make money by diverting cheap goods from circulation. Others sell the same goods at much higher prices, possibly using their own influence.
The Antimonopoly Committee already fined Prommed Technologies, which previously sold Vizion products, for collusion at tenders. But now another company, seemingly unrelated, Slavutych Shik Modern, is selling that product. This may indicate that the same people are behind these companies, and there is no real diversification of distributors for this brand in Ukraine.
It’s obvious that Slavuta Shik Modern receives authorization letters from the Polish company Vizion, as Prommed Technologies did before. And in court this company is defended by Ivanna Gurez, as was Prommed Technologies.
Another aspect of the scheme’s operation is the criminal case that the Bureau of Economic Security has been investigating for more than two years.
In the summer of 2025 year, MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak reported that on the eve of the appointment of the new head of the BEB, Oleksandr Tsyvinskyi, law enforcement closed more than two hundred criminal cases that had been investigated before Tsyvinskyi’s appointment, and transferred some others to different investigative bodies, including the State Bureau of Investigation and the National Police.
After a request to the Office of the Prosecutor General, we learned that the case remains open but is at the pre‑trial investigation stage.
Today all mentions of this criminal case have been removed from judicial registers. The court document listing Slavuta Shik Modern, Prommed Technologies, Cherkasy hospitals and other legal entities connected with this equipment is now available only on specialized aggregator sites and, of course, on «18000».
Clearly, business must operate, trade must occur, and profits must be made to advance the economy. But these should not be windfall profits earned through a label. We hope that Khmelnytskyi, Rivne and other cities that recently resumed procurement of this equipment will come to their senses and reduce their “tolerance” for someone’s excessive profits.
Another important factor is the overall effectiveness of this equipment, its relevance and urgency. Of course, the need for rehabilitation is significant and only growing, but does such equipment actually meet that need at all? We will address that soon with other case studies—there are unfortunately many.
Investigative author — Artur Chemyrys
Text version — Valeria Kisiliova
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