Law enforcement agencies have uncovered a large-scale scheme of illegal appropriation of funds intended for payments under the “green” tariff. According to the investigation, it worked for the benefit of several enterprises located in the temporarily occupied territory of the Zaporizhia region. This was reported by NABU and SAP.
In 2019–2020, the former deputy of the Donetsk Regional Council, together with his brother, established control over a number of companies specializing in the production of electricity from alternative sources. In the Vasylivka district of the Zaporizhzhia region, they built solar power plants with a total capacity of about 60 MW and concluded contracts with the state enterprise “Guaranteed Buyer” for the sale of electricity at a “green” tariff.
After the start of a full-scale war and the occupation of part of the region, these power plants lost connection to the Ukrainian power system, were damaged, and the personnel were evacuated. Despite this, the enterprises controlled by the suspects continued to report on the allegedly produced electricity and receive state payments for it, although in fact no volumes were supplied to the Ukrainian energy system. The total amount of damage caused is preliminarily estimated at 141.3 million hryvnias.
The names of the suspects are not officially disclosed. At the same time, it is noted that the investigators used materials from the journalistic investigation Bihus.Info. Currently, nine people have been notified of the suspicion, including the former Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine and a former member of the Supervisory Board of NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine, the owner of a network of Ukrainian and foreign companies, who is a close relative of the former Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, his confidant, managers and employees of controlled enterprises, as well as the former commercial director of JSC Zaporizhzhiaoblenergo.
The pre-trial investigation is ongoing, law enforcement officers are checking the possible involvement of other individuals. Back in 2023, investigative journalists reported that the co-owners of the solar power plants that fell under Russian occupation are representatives of the close circle of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President Rostislav Shurma.
