Law enforcement officers 'busted' fraudulent currency exchanges of a drug trafficker and the owner of 'Trukha' Udyanskyi: over 630 million UAH seized

The Office of the Prosecutor General, together with the Bureau of Economic Security, uncovered a large network used to evade taxes and launder criminal funds. During more than 30 searches in 16 regions, law enforcement officers seized a record amount, over 630 million UAH. According to our publication, among the figures is Mykola Udyanskyi.

Udyanskyi is a crypto businessman with a Russian passport, the new owner of the Telegram channel 'Trukha.' He was mentioned in the media in the context of human trafficking and drugs. Udyanskyi is also closely connected with members of the organized crime group 'Zalutynski,' which was part of the so‑called gang of Prince Vadym Kazartsev, involved in contract killings, raiding, extortion, and robberies. Udyanskyi is referred to as the main 'wallet' of the Zalutynski boss Leonid Mitrov. The OCUs are believed to be the perpetrators of a series of killings in Kharkiv. The Investigative Office of the Prosecutor General and the Bureau of Economic Security exposed a fraudulent network operating across Ukraine; billions of hryvnias circulated annually through it. Its participants carried out so‑called 'permutations' — exchanging cash and digital assets, as well as transferring funds domestically and abroad. Operations were conducted without the required permits, and the proceeds were not reflected in accounting or tax records. For their operation, they used premises of unlicensed currency exchange points operating under a well‑known brand. At the same time, the necessary permits for carrying out currency exchange operations were not present. Under the guise of exchange offices, cash was also converted into digital assets in violation of established requirements. In addition to 630 million UAH in various currencies, investigators seized computer equipment, mobile phones, and draft documents from the suspects that may contain records about the organization and activities of the network.