Under the procedural guidance of prosecutors from the Office of the Attorney General and with the operational support of the Main Department of Internal Security of the SBU, two officials of the Security Service of Ukraine have been exposed for extortion and receiving illegal benefits.

On March 16, 2026, within the framework of a criminal proceeding, the deputy head of the SBU in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, the deputy head of the SBU in the Rivne region, as well as a civilian intermediary, were detained in accordance with Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine.

According to the investigation, they demanded over 600,000 US dollars from an entrepreneur for influence on the course of the pre-trial investigation. In particular: for reclassifying a previously registered criminal offense, not holding the guilty parties criminally liable, instead – accusing fictitious persons and for not creating artificial obstacles during the extraction of amber in the region.

The mentioned officials and the intermediary were detained today while receiving 250,000 US dollars as part of the illegal benefit for falsifying the criminal proceeding and 22,100 US dollars for facilitating the extraction of amber.

Currently, urgent searches are being conducted in the offices of the SBU in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, the SBU in the Rivne region, as well as at the residences of the individuals involved.

Investigative actions are ongoing. The issue of notifying the detainees of suspicion under part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and choosing preventive measures is being resolved.

Note: according to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed 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 guilty verdict of the court.