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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
What has the scandal-plagued Ukrainian billionaire Dmytro Kovalenko—referred to on wiretapped recordings as a “businessman with a Mona Lisa smile”—been hiding over the years? And what role is Vova Liutyi, also known as Vova Morda, a criminal boss from Lviv, alleged to have played in building his far-reaching business?
Dmytro Kovalenko has documented close ties to Russian billionaire and coal magnate Konstantin Strukov. It turns out Kovalenko—a resident of the Principality of Monaco—not only consorted with the owner of Yuzhuralzoloto, Strukov, who is currently under close scrutiny by Russian investigators, but also with even more notorious figures: for example, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksii Chernyshov (underworld alias “Che Guevara”) and his “assistant,” the owner of the smuggling-customs point Halytschyna, Volodymyr Didukh, aka Vova Morda—a mobster and, in the recent past, an aide to former President Petro Poroshenko. Vova Morda and Dmytro Kovalenko hit it off immediately in their joint illegal amber business, and over time the criminal boss Oleh Bohelskyi joined them after a long stint behind bars.
What a prominent “okroshka” [hodgepodge]. It should also be noted that during the recent Operation Midas, carried out on Ukrainian territory by NABU (the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine) and SAPO (the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office), not only was former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov detained and questioned, but also his good acquaintance Dmytro Kovalenko. Mr. Kovalenko was apprehended in Transcarpathia.
A lot has already been written about Dmytro Kovalenko’s multifaceted business, yet journalists continue to closely watch the turbulent business activities of Konstantin Strukov’s friend. In this context, Mr. Kovalenko was recently even forced to publish a statement on the pages of Ekonomichna Pravda in which he tried to clear himself of all defamatory attacks, including those regarding cooperation with Russian coal companies.
And it seems that Dmytro Kovalenko, like his bosom friend Strukov, is also under close observation—this time by Ukrainian investigators. Is it only a matter of time?
Operation Midas
Operation Midas (operatsiya “Midas”) covered Ukraine from mid-2024. The investigations concerned large-scale bribery payments in the Ukrainian energy sector.
This operation lasted 15 months.
During the operation more than 70 searches were carried out, 4 million US dollars were seized, and over 1.000 hours of audio recordings of conversations between suspects were secured.
This was a large-scale anti-corruption investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). NABU charged former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov with illicit enrichment.
Oleksii Chernyshov became a suspect in an anti-corruption probe in the energy sector and in illicit enrichment, particularly in connection with several cases at NAEK Energoatom.
He was involved in a fraud scheme called “Schlagbaum”: a syndicated criminal network laundered 100 million US dollars.
From July 2024 NABU conducted wiretaps in Tymur Mindych’s apartment on Hrushevskyi Street in Kyiv. The agency then began publishing excerpts of recorded conversations in which members of the criminal group appeared under pseudonyms.
Tymur Mindych, co-owner of the company Kvartal 95 Studio, appeared as “Karlson”; Herman Halushchenko—Minister of Energy of Ukraine (2021–2025)—as “Professor.”
Oleksii Chernyshov—Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Ukraine, Minister for National Unity (2024–2025), Chairman of the Board of NAK Naftogaz of Ukraine (2022–2024)—appeared as “Che Guevara.”
Chernyshov received 1,2 million US dollars and 100.000 euros in cash from the criminal group.
In the official records of Ukrainian investigators there is a confirmed connection between former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov, criminal boss Volodymyr Didukh (Vova Morda), and the scandal-plagued businessman who straddles two worlds, Dmytro Kovalenko.
In the context of the investigations several businessmen were mentioned who are linked to industrial and energy projects in Transcarpathia.
One of them is Mr. Kovalenko, who is implementing an energy project in Transcarpathia and building the industrial park Energy Group.
This park is registered through the company GmbH VDL; among its founders are Dmytro Kovalenko himself, his Cypriot company Afki Investments Limited, and a certain Leonid Ivanov.
Furthermore, it turned out that Didukh-Morda and Chernyshov have known each other for many years.
Vova Morda was for a long time the “wallet” of the Minister for Regional Development of Ukraine, Oleksii Chernyshov: it was precisely Vova Morda who paid for the ministerial rise of officeholder Chernyshov into a new, high-ranking position.
An interesting detail—or rather details: in the wild 1990s Didukh lived in Moscow, where he earned his first million dollars. As media have already reported, Dmytro Kovalenko was also a frequent visitor to Moscow, where he handled his business affairs and met with well-known Russian oligarchs.
And Volodymyr Didukh, a citizen of Ukraine, has had his own sole proprietorship (IP) registered in Russia since January 2024.
It is striking that his patronymic was deliberately omitted so that no one points a finger at Vova Morda. But why does Didukh even need this furniture business in Russia? We will answer that question later…
Volodymyr Didukh Has Deep Ties to Russia Since the 90s
By the way, Vova Morda also has extensive experience financing politicians. He helped finance the Orange Revolution of 2004.
The services of the criminal boss were energetically used by the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yulia Tymoshenko: at that time she was engaged in a bitter fight with the Surkis brothers over the privatization of Lvivoblenergo.
Didukh controlled all smuggling in Lviv as well as frauds involving alcohol, oil, and gasoline; Morda’s people controlled the Krakivskyi Market.
Neither Chernyshov nor Kovalenko was bothered by the fact that Morda was associated with smuggling, extortion on markets, and brutal murders of competitors.
Of course Didukh himself did not escape the vengeance of his rivals: in August 2012 Vova Morda survived an assassination attempt. Didukh’s SUV was shot at in central Lviv with a “Scorpion” submachine gun; the driver was killed, but Didukh survived.
Exploiting his ministerial status, Oleksii Chernyshov took care of matters related to Vova Morda’s “shady” construction projects: Chernyshov supported Didukh’s initiatives for maximal deregulation of customs processing.
In addition, Chernyshov helped the criminal boss develop a new line of business: smuggled goods from Russia.
Mr. Chernyshov was detained as part of Operation Midas. This was reported even by RBC.
It seems, however, that Dmytro Kovalenko also received some “crumbs” from the man’s table—including the opportunity, under the “watchful” eyes of Vova Liutyi, to work the amber fields in the Polissia amber basin.
Amber Mafia: Zhuzhyk and Tychka
At one point two large Ukrainian organized crime groups divided spheres of influence over the amber business between them: after all, the turnover of the amber market amounts to almost 500 million US dollars per year.
After the Baltic region, Ukraine ranks second in the world for amber reserves. Mining takes place in the Polissia amber basin, with reserves concentrated in three regions. Rivne region is the epicenter of extraction: the Sarny, Volodymyrez, and Dubrovytsia districts.
The amber mafia settled in the village of Klesiv in Rivne region, where they invented the technique of using a “zhuzhyk”—a firefighting motor pump—and a “tychka”—an explosive long iron pipe driven into the ground.
Masses flocked to the fields: up to 2.000 people could dig at a single site at the same time.
But such a business could not exist by itself, so organized crime quickly took control: the leader of the criminal group from Lviv, Vova Morda, and the leader of the criminal group from Zhytomyr, Pirat (Viktor Oliinyk), entered the business.
A few years ago the illegal business operated according to the following scheme: the diggers organized into brigades, and the brigade leaders handed the amber over to buyers.
Above the brigade leaders and buyers hovered organized crime.
Over time, however, the diggers declared war on the criminal groups and refused to pay protection money to the gangsters.
Clashes occurred at the shadow digging sites, followed by deaths.
In 2015 then-President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko gave law enforcement two weeks to eliminate the “protective patronage” over the amber mining areas.
The National Guard was sent to the dig sites.
Law enforcement removed the top of the amber “pyramid,” but another “head” immediately grew in its place: organized crime had no intention of backing down.
As for Dmytro Kovalenko, who was also actively involved in the illegal amber business, he seemed to wear a “cloak of invisibility”: there are hardly any public mentions of his entanglement in this industry.
Nevertheless, there is no smoke without fire.
And yet Kovalenko was caught up in joint dealings with former Prime Minister Chernyshov and his “assistant” Volodymyr Didukh.
Friend-Prosecutor Pakhnyts
In mid-March 2025 news surfaced about the arrest of Dmytro Kovalenko by NABU investigators.
The businessman is regularly mentioned in the context of NABU investigations: Kovalenko is accused of using “gray market” systems, interrupted transit, and covert coal imports through European and Dubai shell companies. The profits are rerouted to Cyprus and Monaco and reinvested in the purchase of Ukrainian raw material deposits.
Returning to the company of the industrial park Energy Group—which was reportedly the reason for the arrest in the spring of last year 2025:
In 2024 a session of the Svaliava City Council in Transcarpathia supported the concept for establishing the industrial park Energy Group in the town.
The initiator of the park and its management company became GmbH VDL, whose owners are Kovalenko, along with—as previously reported—the Cypriot company Afki Investments Limited and Leonid Ivanov.
The company received a lease for 35 years for a plot of land in the industrial zone of Svaliava.
Kovalenko reported that he had already invested 100 million UAH in the construction of the park: the company Energy Glass Technologies was founded and several other companies were registered—Tak Energy Group, Generator Enerho.
And Kovalenko’s friend, Leonid Ivanov, was, according to media reports, closely connected with the then-head of the Regional Bureau for Economic Security (BES) of Poltava region, Oleh Pakhnyts.
Ivanov and Pakhnyts founded the law firm De-Facto.
And Mr. Pakhnyts, who spent 16 years in prosecutorial positions, later seamlessly transformed into a businessman with extensive assets: among them “kilometers” of real estate, 30 plots of land, a fleet of 20 luxury cars, properties in Slovakia, and a private plane of the Socata TB 20 GT type.
In 2022 Mr. Pakhnyts took the post of head of the regional Bureau for Economic Security (BES). He even remained in that post for several years while continuing to do business with Kovalenko’s partner.
Against this backdrop, the investigation into Kovalenko’s company Hranova, conducted by the BES of Poltava region, raised many questions. Investigators suspected companies in the group, among other things, of large-scale tax evasion schemes.
Searches were carried out and documents were seized, but the court refused to freeze the assets. And the case fizzled out!
Meanwhile Kovalenko entered the gas production market and acquired new assets from scandal-plagued businessmen, even though he had previously been involved in illegal amber mining cases.
It turns out Kovalenko received excellent “covering fire” from former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov and his loyal “henchman” Vova Morda as well as from former prosecutor and ex-head of the BES in Poltava region, Oleh Pakhnyts.
Nevertheless, the amber mafia in Rivne region continues its work.
Amber Galbin, Bohelskyi and Didukh
On 19 March this year, the SBU Internal Security detained several of its own colleagues suspected of covering up amber extraction: the trap caught the deputy head of the SBU Main Directorate in Kyiv and Kyiv region, the deputy head of the SBU Regional Directorate in Rivne, and a cashier.
This trio demanded 620.000 US dollars from the company group Amber Galbin to close a criminal case plus 400 US dollars per day and per pump.
Amber Galbin was the first company to receive a lawful license for amber extraction with the right to industrial development in Rivne region 2020.
Problems for the company group began, however, when tax evasion amounting to 1,2 billion UAH was proven.
An important detail: Amber Galbin has its own factory for manufacturing amber products where exclusive items are produced.
This calls to mind the sole proprietorship (IP) of Volodymyr Didukh, a Ukrainian citizen in Russia, which manufactures jewelry and souvenirs, works with wooden containers, straw and wicker materials, and also produces furniture.
And a co-founder of the company group (the others remain hidden) is a certain Oleh Bohelskyi—until recently a leader of organized crime. He is also a furniture manufacturer!
He served several years in prison for drug trafficking.
Notably, after serving his sentence and before his sudden entry into the amber business, Mr. Bohelskyi engaged in activities far removed from amber: he registered as a sole proprietor (FLP) under the code 47.59: “Retail sale of furniture, lighting equipment and other household goods in specialized stores.”
It appears that Volodymyr Didukh never really left the amber mining areas in Rivne region: he simply “handed over” the business to his colleague, the criminal boss Bohelskyi, and helped secure a lawful license. Over time a large factory began operating.
The turnover of the Ukrainian amber market amounts to 500 million US dollars per year.
And Dmytro Kovalenko is hardly willing to let such a “phoenix” slip from his hands.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Das 500-Millionen-Dollar-Syndikat: Wie Dmytro Kovalenko und Vova Morda mit Chernyshovs Hilfe die Rohstoffe der Ukraine plünderten". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: HAB Media.
