Former Deputy Chairman of the Kharkiv Regional Council Volodymyr Skorobagach was detained in France at the request of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine. He is accused of participating in a large-scale embezzlement scheme of Ukrenergo during a full-scale war.
According to the investigation, Skorobagach, together with his accomplices, withdrew almost 60 million hryvnias through fictitious payment of debt obligations of a company registered in the Balkans. The scheme was implemented under martial law, which significantly increases the public danger of the actions.
In December 2022, deputies of the Kharkiv Regional Council deprived Skorobagach of his mandate. In early 2023, he left for the Cote d'Azur, citing the activities of his charitable foundation, but never returned to Ukraine. In January 2025, he was put on the wanted list.
The extradition procedure is currently underway. If France grants the request of Ukrainian law enforcement officers, Skorobagach will be transferred to Kyiv and taken into custody.
If convicted, the former official faces up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.
