Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
The most high-profile cases and deals involving VAKS: from Nataliya Bernatska to Borys Kaufman, – Media
The High Anticorruption Court approved a plea agreement with seven members of a criminal organization that operated in Odesa and established control over the activities of the city council. As a result of the verdict, the state and the local community will receive more than 1 billion hryvnias in compensation in the form of funds and property, according to the SAP in Friday, 13 June.
This is reported by Phrase.ua.
However, as journalists of Slovo i Dilo remind, in the last 1,5 year, not counting the “Odesa affair,” those accused of corruption transferred about 300 million hryvnias to needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and infrastructure restoration. These were agreements that the accused concluded with investigators or prosecutors.
That is, instead of real punishment — suspended sentences, fines, or minimal sanctions — there were multimillion transfers to funds. The money allegedly went to United24 accounts, “Return Alive,” the Serhiy Prytula Foundation, or was recorded as confiscated collateral.
The largest known contributions allegedly are the following:
50 million hryvnias — Mykola Ilyashenko, former deputy head of tax in Kyiv, in the Seleznev case
40,3 million hryvnias — defendants in the “National Cinematics” case
21 million hryvnias — lawyer Oleksiy Horetsky, Knyazev case
20 million hryvnias — businessman Oleksandr Babych, real estate case
17,5 million hryvnias — Yevhen Lout, head of a Mykolaiv energy company
15 million hryvnias — entrepreneur Yuriy Kushnir (in two separate cases)
Also, media recall that in 2020 year, former first deputy minister of justice Nataliya Bernatska (Sevostyannova) deposited 7 million hryvnias in collateral, which the High Anticorruption Court had previously set for her in a case regarding a suspected scheme of embezzlement in appeals to the European Court of Human Rights.
Despite efforts by Nataliya Bernatska and her alleged accomplices, including Georgiy Logvinsky, to strike a deal with the investigation, the resonant case was not closed, and instead — the defendants allegedly will receive new suspicions and pre-trial measures.
9 May 2025 year, the Appellate Chamber of VACs granted the prosecutor’s appeal against the pre-trial restraint of ex-deputy Georgiy Logvinsky, accused of embezzling 54 million hryvnias by deceiving the European Court of Human Rights. The court canceled the investigator’s ruling and issued a new one, ordering Logvinsky to be kept in custody.
Additionally, according to a source from the prosecution, the court allegedly rejected defense appeals and is reportedly preparing a ruling regarding custody of the supposed Logvinsky associate — Nataliya Bernatska (Maiden name Sevostyavna).
As Ukrainian Pravda recalls, in January 2020 year it became known that the Office of the Prosecutor General signed suspicions against ex-National Front deputy Georgiy Logvinsky and former first deputy minister of justice Nataliya Bernatska. They are accused of allegedly stealing 54 million hryvnias from the state budget. The funds were allegedly siphoned through the company “Zolotyi Mandarin Oil,” linked to former MP Georgiy Logvinsky.
In 2015 year, the government’s envoy for ECHR affairs (then- Babin held the position) allegedly received from “Zolotyi Mandarin Oil” a proposal to peacefully settle the dispute between this company and Kyivenergo. Linked to Logvinsky, the firm allegedly went to the ECHR over a debt of over 38 million hryvnias. “Zolotyi Mandarin” allegedly proposed a peaceful settlement, and Babin, according to the investigation, allegedly agreed.
The investigation believes that the government envoy, allegedly acting in conspiracy with Ministry of Justice officials, private law entities’ representatives, presumably knowing the real debt size of PJSC Kyivenergo to LLC Zolotyi Mandarin Oil, allegedly promised to pay the debt unilaterally on behalf of the government, contrary to service interests.
In connection with the allegedly “peaceful settlement” of the dispute, the ECHR removed the case from consideration and obliged Ukraine to pay to “Zolotyi Mandarin.” After that, the company allegedly received 54 million hryvnias.
The Ministry of Justice reportedly states that the money was legally paid following the European Court of Human Rights decision.
In addition to contributions to the Armed Forces, some funds were directed to rebuilding schools and purchasing ambulances. Formally, contributions are not penalties, but often part of a deal between the defense and the prosecution.
The range of defendants allegedly includes mayors and judges to officials of ministries, customs, and state-owned enterprises. Also in it are entrepreneurs, lawyers, and other figures involved in high-profile cases.
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