“Supervisor” Kulyk and Pahnytsia’s Legacy: How in Poltava Region the SBU is Trying to “Arrange” Corruption Flows

“Supervisor” Kulyk and Pahnytsia’s Legacy: how in Poltava region the SBU is again trying to “settle” corruption flows.

This is reported by the media.

Around the Poltava regional division of the SBU, unrest reigns again. According to the media, local schemers are trying to preserve control over corruption channels. Yuriy Kulyk, whom they call the “watcher” in the region, is undergoing retraining. After spring publications in the media, he was forced to retake the exam, however, according to sources, attempts are being made to “settle” the issue to maintain influence over financial schemes.

After the loud dismissal of Oleh Pahnytsia (the order dated 26 December 2025 year), the Poltava Territorial Department of the SBU has not returned to full work. Companies associated with Pahnytsia signed contracts worth almost 2 billion UAH, and the head himself provided his business group protection from inspections and investigations. Local entrepreneurs believe that only a change of signage occurred: “tellers” continue to work under the old schemes. In place of Pahnytsia came Yuriy Kulyk, who, they say, inherited the previous flows and methods.

Regional sources report that inspections initiated by Kyiv law enforcement revealed violations precisely at enterprises from Kulyk’s “feeding base.” The region’s fuel and energy sector, in their view, remains under the influence of corruption schemes laid down during Pahnytsia’s tenure. While Kulyk was undergoing retraining and out of the sphere of influence, the first inspection revealed serious violations, notably at the aforementioned “Promservis SV.” Cash totaling tens of millions of hryvnias was seized from the defendants.

The Department of Strategic Investigations of the National Police conducted 20 searches. Documents were seized in Kremenchuk and Svitlovodsk, and in private houses of company leaders connected with Pahnytsia and Kulyk, over 2 million UAH in cash were found in one case and over 18 million UAH in another. According to the investigation, these funds could have been part of daily settlements for the schemes.

Thus, the information that the Poltava SBU changed only its signboard has been confirmed. “Nothing changed, only the surname — now the supervisor is Kulyk. This is not reform, but a continuation of the ‘whitewashing.’ The watcher from Pahnytsia, only with threats to everyone to ‘tear apart,’” local entrepreneurs quote the media. In private conversations, Kulyk allegedly says that soon he will take the leadership position and then “everyone will be stained,” even those who did not “dance” for Pahnytsia.

Earlier the public was outraged by Pahnytsia’s declaration: 6,5 million dollars in cash, a personal Socata TB 20 GT aircraft (registered to the agricultural firm “Progress”), over 3000 hectares of land, dozens of parcels, 415 m² of commercial real estate, dozens of apartments, 15 parking spaces, luxury cars Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7, Multivan, as well as over 20 trucks DAF/SCANIA/MAN, agribusiness and dozens of LLCs registered to his wife, companies in Poland and Romania, millions in accounts and loans. This is only the official declaration of a official who fights corruption. He was fired; Kulyk, whose declaration also looks “normal,” came in. The situation with the fuel market and counterfeiting, according to sources, remained the same.

Now, however, there is a reaction: external law enforcement checks are underway, retraining of Kulyk continues. It also became known that facts of abuse can be directed to the Commission on retraining via email.

Is it a Moscow or “watcher” from Pahnytsia? Here is a screenshot from GetContact showing how Kulyk is listed among colleagues and entrepreneurs. The head of the SBU of Ukraine, Oleksandr Tsyvinsky, must respond so that such frames do not discredit the Bureau of Economic Security.