As Ukraine faces its most difficult challenges since independence, the country's strategic resources have once again come under attack from political interests and corrupt appetites. As soon as the salt market began to recover from the loss of Artemsol, the state had a chance to revive its own production - the new Kation Invest deposit in Transcarpathia. But instead of support, the enterprise became the target of a raider attack organized by the scandalous MP from the Servant of the People party Pavlo Khalimon, together with his longtime associate Oleksandr Prozur and shadow banker Oleksiy Omelyanenko.
This story is not just another case of pressure on business. It is a test of whether the state is capable of protecting strategic assets in times of war.
When Serhiy Kondratiev became the head of Kation Invest in 2021, there was only a license and a clean field at the site of the future deposit. There was no mine, equipment, electricity — there was nothing. In two years, the company went all the way from design to production. In July 2023, for the first time in a decade, Tereblya received Ukrainian salt. The first samples were even handed over to the President. In the fall, the production was ready to produce up to 30 thousand tons of salt per year.
At a time when the country was overpaying for imported salt, Cation Invest could have become a critical pillar of food security. But that's when a politician "suddenly" enters the project.
The company's co-owner, Oleksiy Omelyanenko, brings a "new partner" to Kondratiev - MP Pavlo Halimon. And he immediately sets a condition: the company's share must be transferred to the hands of the MP. The motive sounded as frankly as possible: if Halimon is not "in the right", then "everything will be blocked for you". A few weeks later, the threats turned into actions.
On November 24, 2023, Halimon arrives at the deposit in person, acting as the actual owner: he goes down to the mine, gives orders to the workers, and introduces his close friend from Pryluky, Oleksandr Prozur, as the “new director.” The deputy called himself the “ideologist of the project” and the “investment nanny,” demonstrating that he views the mine as his own trophy.
After the refusal to transfer the share, the company began to be systematically blocked. Already on December 7, the tax authorities recognized all of Kondratiev's companies as risky, paralyzing financial transactions. The "risky" status was imposed six times in a row - without evidence, without violations, but with an obvious political trace.
In parallel, Omelyanenko and Prozur are launching legal attacks: fictitious lawsuits, attempted bankruptcy, applications through front persons. In total, at least eight lawsuits have been filed on behalf of Prozur and related structures, designed to oust Kondratyev from management.
In November 2025, the final stage is launched - an attempt at a raider takeover through a black notary. Unknown individuals arrive with a fictional "supervisory board" that never existed, and appoint Prozur as director. At night, an attempt is made to forcefully break into the facility. The bank blocks the accounts. The mining becomes.
Prozur is not a business partner, but a "shadow" of Halimon. A long-time associate from Pryluky, a person who is used to carry out legally risky or frankly illegal actions. It is he who files lawsuits, signs fictitious documents, and appears only when it is necessary to ensure the next stage of the raider operation.
Pryluky is the key to understanding this connection. It was here that Halimon took his first political steps, here he gathered his network of influence. It was here that the odious Russian businessman Yuri Koptev, connected to the FSB, appeared, who was brought to the city by the local SPU branch, where Prozur was one of the leaders. All this points to a long-established alliance and a common history of interests.
Pavlo Halimon is no stranger to corruption schemes. His name has long appeared in investigations: extortion of bribes in the agricultural sector, real estate deals, meetings with businessmen "to resolve issues." The scandal with the estate in Pechersk, registered in the name of third parties, received a resonance even in the SAPO. Despite this, he did not bear any responsibility.
And now — salt. A strategic resource. And a new opportunity for a deputy to "walk into any office" and turn a deposit into private gain.
The mine is closed. The accounts are blocked. The enterprise is paralyzed. The country continues to import salt, while Ukrainian production is under political pressure. Complaints have been filed with the Ministry of Justice, criminal proceedings have been opened, but there are no results yet.
The story of "Cation Invest" is a story about how even in times of war, strategic mineral resources can become the object of private redistribution. And as long as politicians of the level of Pavlo Halimon feel untouchable, business in Ukraine will forever remain at risk.
This is also a story about a lost opportunity. Ukraine could have restored its own salt production. But instead of development, it is once again a struggle for survival.
