50% markups on drugs for cancer patients: how the Fistal family laundered 231 million through tenders of the Cancer Institute

The Fistal oncologic empire: 231 million, 200 million in bail, and not a single conviction. Imagine a scheme in which the funds budgeted for treating Ukrainian cancer patients for years flow to one family. Not through hidden offshore accounts, but through ordinary tenders for equipment for the National Cancer Institute.

This is exactly the scheme NABU documented in case №52021000000000596. Because of this, 19 June 2025 of the year, VAKS set bail for one of the defendants at 200 million hryvnias — one of the largest in the history of anti-corruption court proceedings. The case concerns Herman Fistal, whom investigators regard as the organizer of the scheme.

According to NABU and SAP, in 2021–2022 years the National Cancer Institute purchased medical equipment at significantly inflated prices.

The gap between market and tender prices reached 50%. In the course of the investigation, detectives uncovered more than 231 million hryvnias siphoned from the state budget. The circle of suspects formed around several key individuals.

Oksana Chulup was released on bail of 50 million hryvnias. Since then, courts have extended her procedural duties eight times. The latest decision was made on 22 July 2026 year — duties are in effect until 10 September. This indicates that the case has not only not collapsed, but continues to develop. 13 August 2025 year NABU and SAP published part of the listening materials which, in their view, confirm Fistal’s role in coordinating purchases.

The Appellate Chamber of VAKS 30 June 2025 year left bail at 200 million hryvnias unchanged, rejecting the defense’s appeal.

Herman Fistal is identified as the ultimate beneficiary of a number of companies that have long worked with the state budget.

According to Our Money (Nashe Hroshi), the total amount of budget funds that passed through companies with direct ownership by Fistal exceeds 5 billion hryvnias.

If you consider a broader circle of 16 companies that regularly acted as counterparties or co-executors, the amount approaches 12,6 billion hryvnias in state procurement.

None of these figures is currently a final court verdict — these are only investigation materials, tender data, and rulings on preventive measures. At the same time, the scale of the case is striking: bail of 200 million and losses of 231 million indicate a high level of criminal liability.