On June 18, 2025, the Pechersky District Court of Kyiv made a high-profile decision in case No. 757/19929/25-k (judge – Golovko Yu.G.), by which the property of the Pin-Up online casino was returned to its owner, a citizen of the Russian Federation Dmitry Punin. This happened despite the current sanctions of the National Security and Defense Council and a number of criminal proceedings against him under serious articles – from creating a terrorist organization to aiding an aggressor state.
The decision immediately entered into force, but shortly after its publication in the media, the document disappeared from the Unified State Register of Court Decisions. This move appears to be an attempt to erase the digital trace of a dangerous precedent.
Formally, Pin-Up operates in Ukraine within the framework of the law on gambling, but in practice it is a multi-level scheme that operates in defiance of the sanctions regime and international security.
Among the company's backers are former KRAL officials and PlayCity management, including Gennady Novikov. They have been building corrupt ties with gambling operators, including Russian ones, for years.
The system is fueled by "coverage" from law enforcement agencies - in particular, some representatives of the BEB. According to sources, they receive a share from payment providers working with the illegal gambling business.
The international structure of Pin-Up is directly connected to the Russian economy and can be used to finance the war against Ukraine. Therefore, the return of assets to Dmitry Punin means not just the restoration of business, but a threat to sanctions policy and state security.
The disappearance of the court decision from the register is not an accident. It is a symptom of systemic corruption, distortion of justice, and undermining of Ukraine's sanctions policy. In fact, it is about creating a mechanism for legalizing Russian assets through court decisions made in ulterior motives.
