The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) have uncovered a large-scale scheme to embezzle budget funds from the state enterprise Energoatom. The crime was committed during the implementation of one of the key infrastructure projects — the completion of the Tashlyk Pumped-Storage Power Plant (PSPP) in the Mykolaiv region.
How the Embezzlement Scheme Worked
According to the investigation, a contracting company formally carrying out the completion works of the plant was at the center of the corrupt structure. Despite the organization missing deadlines and even entering bankruptcy proceedings, the state enterprise continued to cooperate with it. Instead of terminating the contract, the parties systematically concluded additional agreements.
Under these documents, the list and scope of work were changed, and deadlines for their execution were postponed. In total, more than 70 such agreements were signed. It was precisely this legal "curtain" that allowed the criminals to legitimize the embezzlement.
Price Inflation Through Offshores
A key episode of the investigation was the procurement of equipment for the automated control system of the PSPP. Under one of the additional agreements, a batch of equipment was purchased for a sum exceeding 305 million UAH.
The investigation established that the deal was conducted through a controlled foreign company. The use of an intermediary allowed the real cost of the equipment to be inflated by almost 170 million UAH. The difference between the real and inflated price became the basis for the unlawful enrichment of the scheme participants.
Suspects and Arrests
Among those involved in the case are the organizer of the corrupt scheme and the former head of the separate department of "Atomprojectengineering," a company within Energoatom. According to law enforcement officials, the organizer of the scheme has already been detained.
In the autumn of 2025, NABU released details of the investigation, confirming that officials and persons associated with them systematically received unlawful benefits from the energy generation company's counterparties.