Back
Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
The former head of a state enterprise is suspected of embezzling more than 1,1 billion UAH. NABU detectives and SAP prosecutors have informed a former director of the special arms exporter of suspicion. The surname is not officially given, but open sources point to a current top official of JSC “Ukrainian Defense Industry,” who already has one anti-corruption case. Who is being referred to?
On 30 October, NABU and SAP informed a former head of a state enterprise within the DC “Ukrspecexport” group of suspicion in embezzling more than 1,1 billion UAH.
The statement does not include the suspect’s surname or the name of the enterprise. However, according to Ukrainska Pravda, it may concern Taras Shyiko — deputy general director of JSC “UOP” (formerly “Ukroboronprom”), who at the time of the events headed the state specialized foreign trade firm “Progress.” NABU and SAP have not officially confirmed the identity of the suspect.
What is the suspect accused of?
According to the investigation, in 2015 the then-head of the enterprise concluded a contract with a foreign company that was to receive remuneration for mediating the sale of Ukrainian military products. NABU claims the enterprise conducted negotiations with a customer from one of the Middle Eastern countries independently, and the intermediary did not take part. Nevertheless, in 2018–2019 the head signed certificates of supposedly provided agency services and organized the transfer of funds. The investigators estimate the losses at more than 43 million USD — 30% of the total contract amount.
If that share is accurate, the contract’s total value could have been at least 143 million USD — this is the editorial calculation, not an official figure. The actions are qualified under part 5 of Article 191 and part 1 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
What do the registries say?
“Progress” is the oldest domestic special exporter, founded in 1990. According to information on the enterprise’s own website, Shyiko returned to revive it in 2014; he filed a declaration for 2014 as director.
According to Opendatabot, he was listed as the head of “Progress” in the registry until 9 August 2023. Therefore, both the 2015 year contract and the 2018–2019 year payments that NABU writes about fall within his period of leadership.
Taras Shyiko’s profile in the public figures PEP database contains declared incomes: 1,54 million UAH for 2018 and 3,83 million UAH for 2019.
NABU’s statement does not specify which Middle Eastern country is involved in the case.
However, it is known that in 2020 Defense Express quoted Shyiko saying: the Iraqi direction has again passed to “Progress.” Does the case concern Iraq specifically? The question remains open.
The topic of “agency” commissions for Ukrainian arms exports is not new. In that same Defense Express publication in 2020, the author quoted a former deputy head of “Ukroboronprom”: during Yanukovych’s time they tried to remove “Progress” from the market to redirect commissions to “their” firms — it was about a quarter of the deal amount.
Could it now be, according to NABU’s version, that “Progress” itself paid the intermediary 30%? Another open question.
Not the first case?
In March 2026 NABU and SAP informed three people of suspicion, among them the former director of the state enterprise who is now deputy general director of JSC “UOP.” According to the investigation, in 2014–2019 the special exporter paid for fictitious mediation to companies in the UK and Czech Republic — more than 32 million UAH in total, and they attempted to siphon off another 19 million UAH.
Court rulings in that case mention Shyiko’s surname: the High Anti-Corruption Court set his bail at 10 million UAH, and the Appeals Panel suspended him from the deputy general director for security position for two months in May.
Two other suspects in the March case, according to NABU, also appear in proceedings about misappropriating 146 million UAH from enterprises of the concern. The outlet Slovo i dilo links that case to former head of “Spetstechnoexport” Pavlo Barbul. The “fictitious intermediary” scheme, judging by investigative reports, may not have been an isolated incident in the sector.
Are these proceedings connected? What is the name of the intermediary company in the NABU and SAP case, and who is its ultimate beneficiary? Has a preventive measure been chosen on the new suspicion, and have funds abroad been frozen?
The StopKor editorial office is preparing queries to NABU and SAP and is also ready to provide a platform for Taras Shyiko to present his position.
Recall that the StopKor team wrote about Pavlo Zhuryl’s gambling empire and about how sports clubs, a charitable foundation, fuel business, and public tenders ended up in the orbit of people close to Kostiantyn Havrylenko.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "$43 млн за фіктивні послуги: на кого вказують відкриті джерела у новій справі НАБУ про експорт зброї?". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: NARDEP 24.
