On March 23, 2026, the Acting General Director of the State Enterprise "Lvivvugilya" Pavlo Ovchinnikov was notified of suspicion under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - misappropriation or embezzlement of property in especially large amounts using official position. The sanction of the article provides for up to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.
The investigation believes that the suspicion was a continuation of the criminal proceedings that have been investigated regarding the company's activities in recent months. One of the key episodes was the events of February 3, 2026, when the head signed orders to dismiss several top managers with the payment of significant compensation.
These are the Deputy General Director, the Head of Security, and the Human Resources Director. Each of them was awarded severance pay in the amount of six months' average earnings, and the total amount of payments exceeded 1.5 million hryvnias.
Law enforcement officers are paying attention to the legal side of the decisions: according to the investigation, the grounds for dismissal used do not correspond to the status of a state-owned enterprise, since it is provided for business companies. This may indicate possible violations during the processing of personnel decisions.
In March 2026, the court granted access to the company's financial documentation, recording signs of a criminal offense under Part 4 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Later, the qualification was changed to a more serious one — Part 5 of Article 191, which may indicate the establishment of additional circumstances in the case.
Of particular note is the fact that the funds were transferred to the dismissed managers within a few days, while other employees of the enterprise received their salaries much later. This circumstance has also become the subject of analysis by the investigative authorities.
This is not the first episode related to the activities of the company's management. Earlier, in the summer of 2025, law enforcement officers had already conducted searches and investigated possible schemes related to fictitious transactions and overstatement of production figures.
In addition, the investigation is examining possible links between the payments and other figures in the energy sector. These versions are currently being verified within the framework of criminal proceedings.
The Ministry of Energy of Ukraine has not yet provided a public assessment of the situation. However, it is expected that further developments may affect personnel decisions regarding the company's management.
The investigation is ongoing, and the final assessment of the actions of the defendants will be made by the court. The editorial office adheres to the principle of the presumption of innocence.
