---
title: "Personnel Purges in the STS Excise Unit: What Lies Behind the Dismissal of the Department Head"
description: "The STS has dismissed the director of the excise goods control department amid a failure in October revenues: the excise plan was underperformed by UAH 7.1 billion. The personnel purges are linked to intensified efforts against the shadow market."
date: 2026-11-09T17:06:03.593Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/personnel-purges-sts-excise-unit
tags: [ukraine-tax-service, excise-tax, tobacco-market, budget, de-shadowing-economy]
author: "Andrey Kosynko"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Personnel Purges in the STS Excise Unit: What Lies Behind the Dismissal of the Department Head

![Blue sign of the State Tax Service of Ukraine on a light building facade](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/09/kadrovye-chistki-v-gns-akciznyy-blok/kadrovye-chistki-v-gns-akciznyy-blok-1.webp)

## Key Points

- Acting STS Head Yuriy Konyushenko signed an order to dismiss the Director of the Excise Goods Control Department Khrystyna Bozhenko by mutual agreement; the decision was coordinated with the Ministry of Finance.
- October 2026 was a failure: the excise plan was underperformed by UAH 7.1 billion (40%), VAT by UAH 11.7 billion (32%); the largest excise underperformance is in the tobacco market (UAH 3.8 billion, 32.4%).
- According to Kantar Ukraine, the share of illicit products in the cigarette market in July was 21.6%, and the expected annual budget losses from the illegal cigarette market reach a record UAH 36.4 billion.
- The government, at a meeting of the Interdepartmental Working Group on Economic De-Shadowing, identified priorities: taxation of e-cigarettes and liquids, combating smuggling, and eliminating tax evasion schemes.

Personnel changes regarding excise policy have taken place in the State Tax Service of Ukraine, which, according to investigative journalist Yevhen Plynskyi, are linked to the failure of October budget revenues. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to a publication on the Telegram channel 'Dirty Games'. According to Plynskyi, Acting Head of the STS Yuriy Konyushenko signed an order dismissing the Director of the Department of Control over Excise Goods, Khrystyna Bozhenko, by mutual agreement, and the decision was coordinated with the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine.

### Personnel Reshuffle in the Excise Unit

According to the journalist, along with Bozhenko, another official working in risk management is leaving the department. Plynskyi links these personnel changes to unsatisfactory excise tax collection results for October 2026, as well as government plans to intensify the fight against the illicit turnover of excisable products — primarily tobacco and alcohol. According to him, the Cabinet of Ministers intends to step up work on eliminating tax evasion schemes and de-shadowing markets, and these issues, the journalist notes, are discussed at regular meetings involving the Prime Minister, law enforcement agencies, and members of parliament.

### Failure of October Revenues: The Figures

October 2026 became a failure in terms of budget revenues: the excise tax plan was underperformed by UAH 7.1 billion, which is 40% of the monthly plan, and VAT by UAH 11.7 billion, or 32%. The largest underperformance in excise duty was recorded in the tobacco market — UAH 3.8 billion, or 32.4%. Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy Danylo Hetmantsev commented on these figures as follows: 'This is not a “technical deviation”, but a diagnosis. Systematic work on de-shadowing should have yielded results primarily in VAT and excise, and it is precisely here that it has failed.'

### Shadow Market and Record Budget Losses

Market research also confirms the scale of the problem. According to a study by Kantar Ukraine, in July the share of illicit products in the cigarette market was 21.6% (in April 2026 — 19.8%), while the electronic vape market, according to researchers, is completely in the shadows. This is the worst indicator in the last two years. The expected annual losses of the state budget from the illegal cigarette market, according to Kantar Ukraine calculations, amount to a record UAH 36.4 billion.

### Authorities' Reaction: De-Shadowing Priorities

In October, chaired by Prime Minister of Ukraine Serhiy Koretskyi and Minister of Finance Serhiy Marchenko, a meeting of the Interdepartmental Working Group on Economic De-Shadowing took place, where the composition of the group was updated and key priorities were determined. Following the meeting, the Head of the Government noted that the government's priority measures include working on the taxation of electronic cigarettes and liquids for them, combating smuggling, and eliminating tax evasion schemes. Earlier in Ukraine, it was also proposed to increase fines for the illegal sale of electronic cigarette liquids to UAH 250,000 for more effective combat against the shadow market.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Налоговая увольняет руководителя акцизного направления на фоне рекордного падения поступлений](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/kadrovi-chistki-dps-podatkoviy-zvilnili-golovnu-1794240681.html) - Primary source: personnel changes in the STS (dismissal of K. Bozhenko, coordination with the Ministry of Finance, connection with the failure of October revenues), figures of October underperformance (excise UAH 7.1 bln/40%, VAT UAH 11.7 bln/32%, tobacco UAH 3.8 bln/32.4%), quote by D. Hetmantsev, Kantar data (21.6%, UAH 36.4 bln), results of the Interdepartmental Working Group meeting chaired by S. Koretskyi and S. Marchenko. The personnel fact is attributed to the publication by journalist Ye. Plynskyi.

## FAQ

### Who was dismissed in the STS excise unit?

According to journalist Yevhen Plynskyi, Acting STS Head Yuriy Konyushenko signed an order to dismiss the Director of the Department of Control over Excise Goods, Khrystyna Bozhenko, by mutual agreement; the decision was coordinated with the Ministry of Finance. Along with her, the journalist claims, another official from the risk management block is leaving the department.

### What are the personnel changes linked to?

To the failure of excise tax revenues for October 2026 and government plans to intensify the fight against the illicit turnover of excisable products — primarily tobacco and alcohol — as well as the elimination of tax evasion schemes and market de-shadowing.

### How disastrous was October 2026 for the budget?

The excise tax plan was underperformed by UAH 7.1 billion (40%), and VAT by UAH 11.7 billion (32%). The largest excise underperformance was in the tobacco market: UAH 3.8 billion, or 32.4%.

### What are the scales of the illegal cigarette market?

According to Kantar Ukraine, in July the share of illicit products in the cigarette market was 21.6% (in April — 19.8%), the electronic vape market is completely in the shadows; expected annual budget losses from the illegal cigarette market are a record UAH 36.4 billion.