The management of the Zaporizhzhia State Joint-Stock Company (JSC) "Ivchenko-Progress", together with representatives of private companies, became a figure in a major corruption scandal. The investigation established that through a scheme of fictitious purchases, state funds in the amount of more than 120 million hryvnias were appropriated. All these expenses were credited to the accounts of companies that had no relation to production, but only created the appearance of activity, receiving real budget expenses.
Design, production, repair and testing – on paper
JSC "Ivchenko-Progress" is engaged in the design, manufacture, certification, repair and testing of gas turbine engines for aviation and industry. One of the areas of activity of the enterprise is the manufacture of engines for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). These are strategically important technologies that are directly related to the national security of Ukraine, especially in wartime. However, instead of developing real production, the management of the companies and several private firms associated with them committed a large-scale scam, which caused significant damage to the state budget.
Fictitious companies and fake certificates
In the period from 2021 to 2023, Ivchenko-Progress transferred 120 million hryvnias to the accounts of PP Carbon LLC and UPK Carbon LLC. 94% of the revenues of these companies came from the budget of Ivchenko-Progress, which is a clear sign that they existed only at the expense of state funds. This company has neither production facilities nor qualified personnel. For their “services”, they acted as intermediaries, reselling goods at inflated prices.
The procurement documentation contained data on the supply of such goods as heating elements, a 3D carbon composite plate, cast tubular cathodes, and a shaft furnace table. However, the inspection showed that the real market value of these goods was significantly lower than the prices at which the state-owned enterprise purchased them.
In order to avoid tender procedures, employees of Ivchenko-Progress actually created conditions under which only these two companies could supply goods. Certificates of quality and origin of products were forged, they were issued on behalf of international companies that did not actually supply the products. Verification of the registration addresses of the companies showed that they were not physically located at the specified addresses.
Black money through Bridge Construction
Not limited to fictitious purchases, Ivchenko-Progress transferred part of the funds to the accounts of Bridge Construction LLC. Officially, this company was engaged in construction, but in reality it was used as a tool for money laundering. With the help of shell companies, the funds were transferred through a chain of fictitious companies, which made it possible to hide their true purpose. For example, the funds received for the supply of components could be presented as financial assistance, the purchase of materials, or the payment of dividends.
The total amount of money that was transferred through Bridge Construction was significant. The company participated in tenders through the Prozorro system, winning about 50 tenders in cities such as Dnipro, Boyarka, and Vyshneve. However, it did not actually perform the construction work that these tenders provided for. The work was performed by other companies, but at significantly inflated prices.
Account detection and blocking
During the investigation, law enforcement officers received general materials from the State Financial Monitoring Service of Ukraine, which confirmed dubious transactions between companies. Tax authorities also ordered the legalization of funds obtained through criminal means. Currently, the accounts of the company "Bridge Construction" have been blocked in several banks, including JSC "EPB", JSC "KB Globus" and JSC "Sense Bank". It is noted that the company was re-registered from Dnipro resident Dmytro Pasyura to a citizen of Kazakhstan, Oleksiy Kamalov.
