On April 2, 2026, the HACC Appeals Chamber partially granted the defense appeal filed by former SFS chief Roman Nasirov in the Onyshchenko gas scheme case.
The panel removed references to the testimony of former State Tax Service official Liudmyla Solotva and recalculated the pre-trial detention period to be credited toward the sentence. The asset freeze securing a civil claim by Ukrgasvydobuvannya in separate proceedings was left in place. All remaining defense appeals — by both Nasirov and Volodymyr Novikov — were dismissed.
The HACC verdict now has legal force: Nasirov is sentenced to six years in prison, a UAH 17,000 fine, and a three-year ban from public office; Novikov is acquitted.
In its appeals, Nasirov's defense asked the court to quash the verdict and close the criminal proceedings for lack of corpus delicti. The defense argued that the first-instance court had committed substantial violations of criminal procedure — failed to ensure the secrecy of deliberations and issued the verdict in breach of procedure. Counsel also stressed judicial bias, violation of the presumption of innocence, and argued that the verdict rested on assumptions unsupported by proper evidence.
Novikov's defense contended that the facts established by the court objectively precluded any unlawfulness in his actions, as well as the existence of harm or intent. In the defense's view, his conduct lacked corpus delicti, and the acquittal should be grounded not merely on failure to prove participation in the crime, but on failure to prove the elements of a criminal offense. On that basis, the defense asked the court to grant the appeal and amend the verdict.
The prosecutor opposed both appeals as unsubstantiated, maintaining that the evidence firmly established Nasirov's guilt and the severe consequences of his actions for the state, and that the first-instance proceedings had been thorough and impartial.
Nasirov is a defendant in the so-called Onyshchenko “gas case.” He was charged with unlawfully granting installment repayment of tax debt and subsoil use fees to Onyshchenko-linked companies, causing approximately UAH 2 billion in state losses.
The case ran through two court instances over six and a half years, with the defense repeatedly abusing procedural rights to delay proceedings as the statute of limitations approached in April 2026. For more details on the case background and proceedings, see our earlier coverage.
The HACC Appeals Chamber held 23 hearings between January and March, consistently denying adjournment requests.
