August 2022: Cabinet Orders — Ukrvugilla Sold to Private Buyer
In the summer of 2022, amid active hostilities and critical fuel shortages, the Cabinet of Ministers issued a direct decree (No. 838) requiring the state enterprise "Ukrvugilla" to supply coal exclusively to designated state electricity producers — including PAT "Centrenergo." However, according to NABU and SAP, this decree was deliberately ignored.
In August 2022, "Ukrvugilla" sold nearly 24,000 tons of coal to the private company "Interbis." The investigation established that Volodymyr Vecherko — a former People's Deputy from the Party of Regions — is the beneficial owner of "Interbis." According to law enforcement, he conspired with Maksym Nemchynov — then an advisor, and previously deputy energy minister — to persuade "Ukrvugilla" director Mykhaylo Voloshyn to enter into an illegal deal.
After the sale, "Interbis" resold the raw materials to third-party buyers, making a profit of nearly 20 million hryvnias.
Based on materials from NABU and SAP released after suspicions were announced in 2024
The Mechanism of Losses: The State Bought Its Own Coal at Higher Prices
"Centrenergo" — lacking contractual coal on the eve of the heating season — was forced to urgently search for 12,500 tons on the open market. In September–October 2022, the enterprise purchased this volume at significantly higher prices, overpaying by nearly 12 million hryvnias. This sum is officially classified as losses to the state.
Here lies a procedural paradox: VAKS jurisdiction extends to cases where the subject matter of the crime or losses exceed 500 subsistence minimums — at that time, this was over 1.2 million hryvnias. Formally, the threshold is met. However, the Appeals Chamber of VAKS decided otherwise: on May 7, 2025, it transferred the proceedings to the Shevchenko District Court of Kyiv as not falling under anti-corruption jurisdiction.
Three Accused, Different Roles
- Mykhaylo Voloshyn — former director of SE "Ukrvugilla," allegedly signed an illegal deal with "Interbis"
- Volodymyr Vecherko — ex-deputy from the Party of Regions, beneficial owner of "Interbis," who received and resold coal with a 20 million hryvnia margin
- Maksym Nemchynov — former deputy energy minister, charged with persuading the director to enter the deal; prosecutors in 2024 requested a bail of 5 million hryvnias for him
All three deny guilt. Nemchynov publicly claimed the deal was lawful.
District Court — Not the End, But a Change in Weight
The transfer of the case from VAKS to district court does not mean the end of prosecution, but it changes the context: Shevchenko District Court handles thousands of cases annually and lacks specialized anti-corruption infrastructure. The defense lawyers will likely use the change in jurisdiction as a procedural argument.
If the district court agrees with the investigation's version and issues a guilty verdict — this will set a precedent: schemes involving state fuel during wartime shortages will be punished even outside VAKS. If the verdict is acquittal or the case drags on — the question remains open: is existing legislation sufficient to block similar deals in the future, when state resources again face pressure from shortages?
