On April 17, the HACC scheduled the Ukrnafta UAH 13.3 billion embezzlement case for trial. The first hearing is set for May 1, 2026.

The indictment covers seven defendants: 

• Oleksandr Kushch — former Chairman of Ukrnafta's Management Board 

• Nataliia Kernytska — former Deputy Head of one of Ukrnafta's departments

• Liudmyla Kyianytsia — former Head of one of Ukrnafta's divisions 

• Oleksandra Volovodenko — former Director of Techtrade Group LLC 

• Bohdan Zhuk — former Director of Prykarpattia-Naftotrade LLC 

• Petro Zvieriev — former Director of Halnafta LLC 

• Oleksandr Shal — former Director of Kotlas LLC.

The case will be heard by a single judge. Although proceedings against Kushch were closed following his death, the case against him on the indictment continues — the final ruling will not impose a sentence on the deceased, but will establish whether or not he committed the alleged offense.

According to the prosecution, the embezzlement scheme had two episodes. In the first, oil worth UAH 10.7 billion was delivered without prepayment to five private companies (Techtrade Group, Harant-UTN, Halnafta, Prykarpattia-Naftotrade Trading House, and Kotlas) in violation of a government requirement for mandatory advance payment. The oil was subsequently refined and sold as fuel, but the proceeds were never returned to Ukrnafta.

The second episode involved the diversion of UAH 2.57 billion under the guise of a prepayment for fuel from Kotlas LLC. Despite Ukrnafta paying in full, the goods were never delivered, and the delivery deadline was fictitiously extended over three years. The NABU established that the billions had been transferred to offshore accounts abroad. 

Total losses across both episodes exceed UAH 13.3 billion. 

The investigation ran for several years; suspicion notices were served on eight individuals only in September 2022. The case has been in preparatory proceedings since March 27, 2025.