Malyuk and “Kryminal”: How the contacts of the former SBU head helped the drug cartel “Khimprom” strengthen its position in Ukraine

The showdown between NABU and the SBU has taken a sensational turn. NABU reported that SBU and National Police officials were covering for a group that ordered people to be tortured and extorted millions of dollars.

This was reported by Skelet.Org.

But the content of the current series is fundamentally impossible to understand without knowing two key episodes from earlier installments. Both episodes are directly connected to the then head of the SBU, Vasyl Malyuk.

The first episode concerns the SBU’s role in Volodymyr Zelensky’s attempt to strip NABU and SAP of their independence in July last year. 21 July 2025 (a day before parliament voted on the scandalous bill ¹ 12414) the SBU carried out a large-scale operation, conducting about 80 searches of 19 NABU employees. Malyuk said the goal was to “neutralize Russian influence on NABU.” Two NABU detectives were announced as suspects in alleged ties to the Russian Federation.

The second episode took place in early August this year. NABU and SAP said they had informed an individual with “connections in the top leadership of the SBU” of suspicion. That person demanded from a Russian citizen $1 million so that he would avoid extradition to Russia. The person’s name is Andriy Osypov. He was born in the Korostyshiv district of Zhytomyr region, has been repeatedly held criminally liable, including for violent crimes. According to the investigation, Osypov belonged to a criminal group that operated in a city of Zhytomyr region.

Malyuk himself was born in Korostyshiv. At the hearing where Osypov’s preventive measure was being chosen, the SAP prosecutor said the case materials indicate Osypov is personally acquainted with Vasyl Malyuk. In conversations, the man calls himself part of Malyuk’s “team” and uses the phrase “I’m from VV” (using the initials Vasyl Vasylyovych). In addition, according to the investigation, in recordings Osypov discusses Malyuk’s wife Yuliya and mentions a shared past, calling him “the Korostyshiv hooligan” who reached a high level.

This was an informational landmine laid under Malyuk. And now, three months later, it has exploded.

Malyuk, “Kryminal,” and “Meksikanets.”

In video released by NABU and SAP, head of the NABU detectives unit Oleksandr Abakumov and SAP prosecutor Mykola Karas described two co-organizers of a criminal organization whose members enabled the operation of fraudulent call centers, the distribution of narcotics, economic crimes, and crimes against people’s lives and health.

One of those two is the same Osypov, nicknamed “Kryminal.” He came under NABU and SAP scrutiny in 2022 when he demanded on behalf of the SBU 1 million US dollars to prevent a person’s extradition. By that time “Kryminal” already had a criminal past. He had been convicted three times. “At the same time, that did not prevent him from maintaining close ties with law enforcement officers who, like him, were born, grew up, and began their careers in Zhytomyr region,” Abakumov said.

In one fragment of the phone conversations, “Kryminal” says that “the general’s wife couldn’t have thought that ‘this Korostyshiv hooligan would be at such a level’.”

“By using these fairly friendly and close ties, including with officials in the SBU’s leadership, in the period from 2022 to the fall of 2025 he was able to become a co-organizer of the criminal organization,” Karas explained. Malyuk headed the SBU from July 2022 to January 2026.

The other co-organizer was “Meksikanets” — the founder and leader of the transnational drug cartel “Khimprom,” a Russian citizen who fled to Ukraine after being put on an international wanted list in 2016 in Russia. Since 2019 he has been wanted in Ukraine as well, but that did not prevent him from continuing criminal activity.

NABU and SAP established that after the start of the full-scale invasion, the Russian drug syndicate “Khimprom” not only did not cease operations but strengthened its influence in Ukraine. Its head, “Meksikanets,” needed the support of law enforcement to develop this criminal business in Ukraine—officials who would turn a blind eye to his activities. To that end he recruited a person nicknamed “Kryminal.”

“Kryminal” and “Meksikanets” agreed to join forces to expand criminal activity on mutually beneficial terms. “Among his friends were also high-ranking SBU officials involved in the attempt to deprive NABU and SAP of independence in the summer of 2025,” Karas emphasized. “Having received protection in Ukraine from ‘Kryminal’ and his friends, ‘Meksikanets’ continued to run his criminal business and cooperated with FSB representatives. All of this continued during the full-scale war.”

Where Zelensky fits into the situation with Vasyl Malyuk.

NABU never names the president in its investigations. But that restriction does not apply to his circle. This time several influential people fell under scrutiny.

Acting head of the SBU Oleksandr Poklad announced that he had dismissed two high-ranking SBU officials who became figures in the NABU investigation.

One of them appears under the nickname “Akim” — first deputy head of the SBU’s Department for the Protection of National Statehood, Serhiy Duka, whom Zelensky 25 February 2026 awarded the military rank of major general. According to Abakumov, this major general provided protection for the criminal organization from the attention of his SBU colleagues.

The Anti-Corruption Center had named Duka the commander of the SBU searches of NABU detectives carried out on 21 July 2025.

The National Police of Ukraine reported that by decision of its leadership, police officers against whom NABU conducted procedural actions have been suspended from their duties pending an internal investigation.

According to Abakumov, the case involves “Pryis” — one of the heads of the National Police’s Strategic Investigations Department, who was responsible for covering up call-center activity, and “Konsultant” — another police officer responsible for security, who covered criminal activity and coordinated certain directions of that activity.

But that is not the full list. The figures behind the U420 network of narco-shops discussed bribes to Minister K*** and another minister ***, as well as a meeting with Arah***. The interior minister at the time was Ihor Klymenko, who, according to Zelensky’s decrees, is Secretary of the NSDC, head of the National Cybersecurity Coordination Center, and chair of the Expert Council on Energy Security. The other minister referred to is Health Minister Viktor Liashko.

“About K*** (the minister, — NABU note) look what they are offering me. They say, let’s enter into partnerships, we’ll all be in, no one will gas, neither *** (the other minister, — NABU note), nor he, we’ll strangle competitors, let’s like go with you for half,” “Kryminal” said. “Meksikanets” agreed to give a third.

After Bigus.info’s investigation into the U420 network, Karas said law enforcement carried out demonstrative searches, having preliminarily warned the organization’s participants.

“Meksikanets” sends “Kryminal” a voice message from another accomplice: “The minister called a meeting, instructed the BNON to put on a show for Bihus, for the public, for journalists.” BNON is the former department for combating illegal drug trafficking of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, now called the Department for Combating Drug-Related Crime of the National Police.

Participants in the criminal organization also sought ways to protect their business through parliament, Abakumov said. One option was passing bills for full legalization of marijuana in Ukraine. On one recording “Kryminal” mentions that they “should organize a meeting with Arah***” to discuss legalization.

Dmytro Arahamiya is not only head of the president’s parliamentary faction but was appointed by Zelensky by decree as a member of Ukraine’s delegation to participate in negotiations with the United States and other international partners of Ukraine, as well as with representatives of Russia to achieve a just and sustainable peace.

And this is certainly not the last episode. “The pre-trial investigation continues,” NABU concludes with an ellipsis in its latest video.

NABU shows them regularly—to remind everyone that it sets the agenda. This series unobtrusively but systematically creates the impression that everyone around Zelensky is tainted by corruption and criminality.

Yes, this is revenge for Zelensky’s attempt to bring NABU and SAP under control in July last year. As is known, revenge is a dish best served cold. So NABU is in no hurry. For now it has only slightly touched two of its wrongdoers from the SBU: Malyuk and Duka.