One of the largest shopping and entertainment centers in Kyiv, Respublika shopping center, was the subject of a loud scandal, where both a huge "discount" during resale and a possible billion-dollar scheme in the interests of oligarchs are being discussed. The Antimonopoly Committee suspects certain structures related to the sanctioned Dmytro Firtash and Vitaly Khomutynnik of collusion: the state lost more than a billion hryvnias due to the underestimation of the value at the auction, and the object itself actually remained in the hands of the previous owners.
Vasyl Astion, who has connections in both business and politics, plays a key role in this story. His connections with Khomutynnik, who may have a connection with Firtash, become especially important in the context of the implementation of the Respublika shopping center project.
It turns out that the company "Diligence", which managed this huge shopping and entertainment center, has Khomutynnik and Tolstunov as beneficiaries through offshore structures. At the same time, it is worth noting that the construction of "Republika" was financed with funds received from the "Nadra" bank, which was controlled by Firtash. The company Megapoliszhitlobud, also connected to a pro-Russian oligarch, was behind the construction process.
In 2019, the object was purchased at an auction at a significantly reduced price by individuals associated with Khomutynnik. Soltex Capital, represented by Vasyl Astion, became the winner and acquired Respublika for only 777.1 million hryvnias, while the initial cost was about 2.6 billion hryvnias.
It is interesting that Astion is the final beneficiary of several other firms that also participated in the bidding for "Republika". In 2020, the national police began an investigation into possible collusion between officials of the National Bank, Nadra Bank, other companies, and Soltex Capital at the auction.
In general, thanks to this scheme, the state lost more than a billion hryvnias, while the object itself remained in the hands of the former owners.
