Skip to content
Edit post

Court prolongs oligarch Kolomoisky's detention until March

by Kateryna Hodunova and The Kyiv Independent news desk January 23, 2024 10:25 AM 1 min read
Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky during the court session on Sept. 15, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky will remain in custody until March 2 with a bail set at Hr 2.65 billion ($71 million), Suspilne reported on Jan. 22, citing the Shevchenkivskyi district court’s decision.

Kolomoisky was charged with fraud and laundering over Hr 500 million ($13.3 million) between 2013 and 2020, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported on Sept. 2, 2023.

A few days later, the oligarch and five other associates were accused of embezzling Hr 9.2 billion ($246 million) from PrivatBank, Ukraine's largest bank formerly owned by Kolomoisky.

Under separate charges, Kolomoisky is also suspected of creating a criminal group with PrivatBank's employees and illegally acquiring Hr 5.8 billion ($155 million) between 2013 and 2014.

During the hearing on Jan. 22, Kolomoisky said that he needed a medical examination as his health conditions got worse. His lawyers insisted on allowing Kolomoisky to move from custody to house arrest in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

The court refused to release the oligarch on bail, extending his detention as the pre-trial investigation continues.

Kolomoisky controlled Ukrtatnafta, Ukraine's largest refining company, until it was seized by the government in November 2022 as a "critical national resource" during martial law. The company reportedly refused to pay Hr 3.2 billion ($85.5 million) in taxes in 2022.

Kolomoisky also co-owned PrivatBank, nationalized in 2016, leaving a $5.5 billion hole in its balance sheet due to its fraudulent activities.

He faces various lawsuits and charges in the U.K., U.S., Israel, and Ukraine.

News Feed

7:15 PM

Ukraine's artillery braces for shell shortage as US halts aid.

The Kyiv Independent's Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko spent a day with an artillery crew from the 28th Mechanized Brigade in the front-line city of Kostiantynivka. Following the recent decision by the Pentagon to halt shipments of certain weapons to Ukraine, a looming shell shortage is once again on the horizon for Ukrainian forces.
9:17 AM  (Updated: )

'There is also good news' — Ukrainian drones hit key military optics plant in Russia, General Staff confirms.

Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's counter-disinformation center, said a drone hit the Azov Optical and Mechanical Plant in the town of Azov, Rostov Oblast. The facility reportedly manufactures critical components for the Russian military, including sights, rangefinders, thermal imaging systems, and fire control equipment for tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, ships, and aircraft.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.