---
title: "War for the Postal Bank: Ihor Smelyansky Accuses NBU Head of Corruption and Threatens Lawsuit"
description: "Ukrposhta General Director Ihor Smelyansky called the NBU's decision to suspend him an attempt to sabotage the creation of a postal bank and accused the regulator's head of corruption. He threatens a lawsuit that will force the National Bank to pay and warns of risks to the company's international loans. 🏦🚫📉"
date: 2026-06-23T09:22:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/war-for-postal-bank-smelyansky-accuses-nbu-head-of-corruption
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# War for the Postal Bank: Ihor Smelyansky Accuses NBU Head of Corruption and Threatens Lawsuit

![Ihor Smelyanskyi, founder of the Postal Bank, accuses the head of NBU of corruption and threatens legal action.](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/23/smelyanskiy-ukrpochta-nbu-konflikt-pochtoviy-bank/smelyanskiy-ukrpochta-nbu-konflikt-pochtoviy-bank-1.webp)

A scandalous conflict is brewing in Ukraine's financial sector that could radically alter the country's banking landscape. Ihor Smelyansky, General Director of Ukrposhta, stated that the National Bank's decision to suspend him from office is a direct attempt to sabotage the creation of a postal bank. In his view, the regulator is using administrative resources to block a competitor to state-owned financial giants.

### Sabotage Scheme: From Default to Suspension

Smelyansky links the NBU's actions to the impending launch of the law on banks for financial inclusion. In his Telegram statement, he claims that every time the postal operator gets close to creating its own financial institution, the regulator finds a way to obstruct it. As an example, he cited events from the summer of 2025: immediately after the Verkhovna Rada's vote, a letter appeared alleging the company's default, which, according to the General Director, was a fake intended to discredit the project.

Today, Ukrposhta demonstrates financial stability: the company has over 2 billion hryvnias in equity and operates profitably. However, according to Smelyansky, his suspension is merely intended to put the launch of the postal bank on hold. The regulator's goal, according to the General Director, is to ensure that the next head is not appointed unless they are "docile" towards the NBU leadership.

### Personal Conflict and Corruption Allegations

The tone of Ihor Smelyansky's statement went far beyond business correspondence. He directly accused NBU head Andriy Pyshny of settling personal scores, acting unlawfully, and engaging in corruption, calling the dismissal decision "complete bullsh*t". The General Director stated that he has decided to "chase down" both the executors of this decision and their clients, promising that during investigations, the executors will name the person who gave the order.

Smelyansky also advised Andriy Pyshny to "be careful with his assets," considering his legal experience in the USA. "From the post of NBU head, as I hope, you will soon leave along with many people. But responsibility for what has been done over these years, as the classic said, awaits you ahead," he emphasized.

### Legal War and Threat to International Loans

Ukrposhta's legal team, together with external lawyers, is already preparing lawsuits. Smelyansky is confident that in the end, "it will be like with parcels — payment by the recipient," meaning the NBU and its head personally will pay for everything.

However, the consequences of the conflict may go beyond internal confrontation. Forced leadership change could negatively affect the company's international agreements. Ukrposhta has active loan agreements worth tens of millions of euros with the EBRD. The General Director noted that he plans to officially inform both bank representatives and the IMF about this situation, which could jeopardize current obligations.

### Battle for the Fintech Services Market

At the heart of the confrontation lies economic interest. Ukrposhta has the opportunity to create its own bank, which could lead to an outflow of some clients from state-owned "Oschadbank" and "PrivatBank". This became one of the reasons for the tense relationship between the postal operator and the National Bank of Ukraine. The discussion around the creation of a "postal bank" has long gone beyond professional debate and turned into a public confrontation.

Despite the conflict, Smelyansky assured that Ukrposhta continues to operate in normal mode without any changes. He emphasized that the team knows how to recover quickly from blows, and readiness to continue the fight has already been demonstrated.