Six defence industry companies have posted UAH 272.5 million in bail for former MP Serhiy Pashynsky. This was reported by Kommersant Ukrainian
Today Pashynsky was released from jail on bail of UAH 272.5 million .
The money was paid by six companies that are members of the National Association of Defence Industry Enterprises NAUDI, of which Pashinsky is the chairman.
Pashynskyi’s bail was posted by:
1) Ukrainian Armour LLC (USREOU 31410901) – UAH 62.5 million.
2) Thermal Vision Technologies LLC (EDRPOU 37201841) – UAH 40 million.
3) Radionics LLC (USREOU 33936538) – 60 million.
4) Melitopol Plant of Motor Vehicle Spare Parts LLC (EDRPOU 30641508) – 43 million
5) UMO Ukraine LLC (USREOU 45274055) – 35 million.
6) System Electronic Export LLC (EDRPOU 41683896) – 32 million.
The total amount is UAH 272.5 million.
It should be noted that the situation at the frontline is becoming increasingly difficult, and Ukraine lacks weapons, including ammunition and drones. The funds spent on Pashinsky’s bail could have been used to defend the country.
The former MP said he was very ashamed and promised to “work off every penny”.
“I am very grateful for such tremendous support, but at the same time, I am very ashamed that the funds that were supposed to be used to produce weapons were used to bail me out on fake charges. I will work for every penny and get these funds back,” he said,
– he said.
What is known about NAUDI
Established in 2020, the National Association of Defence Industries of Ukraine (NAUDI) unites leading Ukrainian strategic manufacturers of military and dual-use equipment, weapons and ammunition.
NAUDI’s core competencies include armoured vehicles, self-propelled howitzers, unmanned aerial vehicles, radars, electronic warfare systems, barrage munitions, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, artillery and much more.
The chairman of the association is Sergey Pashinsky. Deputy Chairman for Strategic Communications – Sergey Vysotsky. Executive Director – Maksym Pavlovych Polyvianyi.
The Pashynskyi case
on 12 February 2024, anti-corruption authorities reported the exposure of a criminal organisation that caused damage to the state in the amount of UAH 967 million in 2014-2018. It is a scheme to misappropriate and sell 97,000 tonnes of state-confiscated oil products that were supposed to go to the army, the press service of the authorities reports.
Reportedly, in 2014, the state confiscated almost 100,000 tonnes of oil products from Serhiy Kurchenko’s structures and transferred them to a specialised state-owned enterprise for sale. This enterprise in return sold the raw materials at reduced prices to a company controlled by one of the organisers of the scheme. The funds were withdrawn to private accounts, thus causing the state to suffer losses of UAH 967 million.
Six people have so far been notified of suspicion in the case, one of whom is “the former acting Head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine, MP, head of one of the committees of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, co-organiser of the ML”, i.e. Serhii Pashynskyi.
The suspect himself claims that in 2015 he initiated the transfer of fuel from Kurchenko or, as he claims, Rosneft to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. For this reason, allegedly on the orders of the Russians, criminal proceedings were opened against him. It is in connection with this case that the former MP’s home was searched today. Pashinsky emphasises that the case was brought up simultaneously with the Russian Investigative Committee.
Pashinsky’s story
Former Ukrainian MP Serhiy Pashinsky has gained notoriety as an odious figure due to a number of high-profile scandals in which he was involved. For example, on 31 December 2016, he had a conflict with Viacheslav Khimikus, a resident of Kyiv region, during which Pashynskyi shot him in the leg with a firearm. In 2021, the then MP was acquitted and the case against him was closed. It was also reported that Khimikus was paid UAH 1.5 million in compensation, after which he withdrew his claims against the MP.
The most recent accusations against Pashynskyi relate to his allegedly profiting from the supply of weapons to the Ukrainian army before and at the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion. For example, in 2022, the revenues of Ukrainian Armor, a weapons company that supplies weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and is linked to Pashynskyi, skyrocketed more than a hundredfold, reaching UAH 13 billion ($350 million). The SBI and NABU opened criminal proceedings and conducted searches in the cases. At the beginning of his presidential term, Volodymyr Zelenskyy even called Pashynskyi “100% bandit”.
At the same time, as the New York Times claimed in its own investigation, Pashinsky secured critical weapons for the Ukrainian army at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, when there was no military assistance from the West.