A new public conflict has erupted in the Verkhovna Rada surrounding the state-owned Sense Bank. The head of the National Bank of Ukraine, Andriy Pyshnyy, delivered a report stating that the government, as a shareholder, must immediately terminate the powers of the bank's Supervisory Board chairman, Mykola Gladyschenko. According to the regulator, the NBU's Bank Supervision Committee has already decided that Gladyschenko does not meet independence requirements. Pyshnyy specifically emphasized that this is a termination of powers, not a suspension, and noted that the NBU has already requested the government to appoint a new member of the Supervisory Board.
Timeline of the Investigation and the Role of NABU Materials
The regulator explained that the check on Gladyschenko's compliance with independence requirements began in May 2026 following the release of the first part of the so-called "Mindyk tapes." However, according to the NBU, the materials released at that time were insufficient for a decision: "The National Bank must act based on sufficient and proper facts, not assumptions and public resonance," Pyshnyy stated. He added that the NBU had twice requested materials from the pre-trial investigation from NABU and the Office of the Prosecutor General (SAP), but law enforcement agencies refused, citing investigative secrecy. The turning point was the publication by NABU of materials from the "Forrest Gump" operation, which, according to the regulator, contain facts about Gladyschenko receiving and executing instructions from outside persons.
Supervisory Board Quorum and Chairman of the Board Investigation
Simultaneously, the NBU initiated an administrative proceeding regarding the collective fitness of the entire composition of Sense Bank's Supervisory Board. According to Pyshnyy, the board reacted inadequately to the situation, and Gladyschenko's withdrawal from managing the bank was merely formal. Currently, the Supervisory Board lacks a quorum and is incompetent, which the regulator deems "unacceptable for a state bank." Separately, since May 2026, the NBU has been conducting an administrative proceeding regarding the professional fitness of Sense Bank's Board Chairman, Oleksiy Stupak: during enhanced supervision, signs of a hidden management structure were detected, which the regulator believes may have been created by representatives of former sanctioned shareholders. The NBU Qualification Commission meeting regarding Stupak is scheduled for August 26, 2026.
Hetmanets' Reaction and Call for Resignation
Immediately after the NBU head's speech, Danylo Hetmanets, chairman of the parliament's financial committee, took the floor. He stated that he considers the regulator's reaction to the situation around Sense Bank appropriate but belated — according to him, counteractions should have occurred about a year and a half ago. Hetmanets also leveled a number of accusations against Pyshnyy, specifically claiming his possible knowledge of a money laundering scheme in the bank and connections with certain figures, and publicly called for the resignation of the NBU head. However, these assertions were not supported by concrete evidence in his speech.
Contradictory Data
There are significant discrepancies between the positions of the parties. Pyshnyy insists that the NBU acted strictly based on facts and that in May 2026 there were no grounds for a decision — they only appeared after the publication of the "Forrest Gump" operation materials. Hetmanets, conversely, claims that the regulator should have reacted about a year and a half ago, effectively accusing the NBU of systematic delay. Furthermore, the deputy's accusatory theses regarding Pyshnyy's possible knowledge and connections with the case figures were not accompanied by evidence in his public speech, whereas the regulator, on the contrary, states that it was risk-oriented supervision algorithms that allowed the disclosure of money laundering schemes in the bank. Thus, the assessment of how timely and impartial the NBU's reaction was remains a subject of public dispute.
