The issue of appointing a new head of the State Customs Service of Ukraine has become relevant again against the backdrop of the protracted reform of the customs system. One of the candidates is the current deputy director of the State Customs Service of Ukraine department and head of the operational department for combating smuggling, Dmytro Zabashky. At the same time, his previous work experience in Odessa in 2022 remains the subject of heated debate.
During the full-scale war, when exports became critically important for filling the budget and supporting the army, the Odesa Customs Service found itself at the center of large-scale abuses. It is estimated that the state budget was short about UAH 5.2 billion due to the failure to declare income from export operations alone. It was at that time that Zabavasky held the position of acting deputy head of the Odessa Customs Service.
The schemes operating in the region went beyond the traditional “acceleration” of goods clearance. The key mechanism was the “processing outside the customs territory” procedure. Formally, products were exported for processing with subsequent return, but in fact the goods were sold on the international market without paying the appropriate customs duties. This approach allowed to minimize the tax burden, creating significant losses for the budget.
At the same time, law enforcement officers recorded another high-profile trend — the sale of fake OSCE certificates worth about $6,800. The documents allegedly guaranteed “protection” from mobilization. All this took place against the backdrop of the introduction of an export guarantee regime, which was supposed to guarantee stable receipts of foreign exchange earnings and taxes to the budget under martial law.
In 2022, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance and Customs Policy recommended reviewing personnel decisions regarding the management of the Odessa, Transcarpathian, and Volyn customs offices. However, there were no public consequences for the heads of these units. Zabavasky continued his career in the central office.
Additional questions are raised by the official's declaration data. In previous declarations, his son Vladislav was listed as a citizen of Ukraine, although he received a Russian passport in the Rostov region on January 3, 2023. In the new declaration, he is not listed among the family members at all. At the same time, on June 7, 2024, Vladislav Zabavasky received a new Russian passport in the so-called "LPR.".
The family's property status also attracts attention. They own several apartments, a residential building, and MG 350 and Mitsubishi Outlander Sport cars. At the same time, Zabashky's official income for 2022–2024 amounted to approximately UAH 439,937 from Odessa customs, UAH 93,090 from Poltava customs, as well as additional minor payments.
Against the backdrop of billions in budget losses recorded during the work of the Odessa Customs in 2022, the issue of personnel decisions is gaining systemic importance. The appointment of the head of the State Customs Service is not only a managerial step, but also a signal to international partners about Ukraine's real intentions to reform the customs sector.
Will a person who worked during the most resonant wartime customs schemes be able to become a symbol of the service's restart? This is a question that is currently being actively discussed in both political and expert circles.
