More than 14.5 million UAH, which were intended for the needs of employees of the gas transportation system, were embezzled by the leaders of trade union organizations. Law enforcement agencies uncovered a large-scale scheme of abuse under the procedural guidance of the Office of the Prosecutor General.

Investigators from the Main Investigative Department of the National Police of Ukraine, together with operatives from the Department of Strategic Investigations, in close cooperation with the management of LLC "Operator of the Gas Transportation System of Ukraine" and the corporate security service of the enterprise, established facts of the improper use of trade union funds.

According to the investigation, during 2023–2025, the leaders of primary trade union organizations of one of the gas industry enterprises created a mechanism that allowed them to spend funds allocated by the collective agreement at their own discretion.

Of the more than 233 million UAH transferred to trade unions to meet the labor and social needs of employees, a significant portion was directed towards the purchase of goods and services unrelated to the activities of the trade unions and not provided for by any contractual obligations. For example, the percentage received from the company's payroll fund was used by officials for their vacations with families in elite hotel and entertainment complexes, paying for friends' medical treatment, corporate events and alcohol, buying clothes, and even covering the costs of their children's christenings.

A separate role in the scheme was played by the deliberate circumvention of procurement procedures. This allowed concealing the actual volumes of expenses and effectively removed any control over the use of funds.

Currently, three heads of trade union organizations (from Lviv, Transcarpathian, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions) have been notified of suspicion of embezzlement of property in especially large amounts, committed by a group of individuals in collusion using their official position (part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

Pre-trial investigation is ongoing. Law enforcement agencies are establishing the full circle of involved persons and the final amount of damages incurred.

Note: according to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in a lawful manner and established by a court verdict.