After Mykhailo Rykovtsev, a former NABU detective, took over the economic security service of Ukrzaliznytsia, the company continues to incur losses for the state. Only on the latest purchases of diesel fuel, coal, and wagons, the company has 77.4 million UAH in losses and indirect cooperation with Russians. This was written by expert Volodymyr Bondarenko.
The economic security service of Ukrzaliznytsia is headed by former NABU detective Rykovtsev. As a result, Ukrzaliznytsia has 77.4 million UAH in losses and indirect cooperation with Russians on only three goods. The head of Ukrzaliznytsia's security, Rykovtsev, allegedly has nothing to do with this. He is a NABU detective, albeit a former one.
The expert cited examples of losses after recent purchases.
"In particular, on July 28, 2025, Ukrzaliznytsia held a tender for 25.2 thousand tons of diesel fuel worth 1.04 billion UAH (price 41.3 thousand UAH/ton (excluding VAT)), supplier: "Ukrpaletsystem". At the same time, the Ministry of Defense's DOT bought 15.4 thousand tons of diesel fuel worth 597.2 million UAH (price 38.7 thousand UAH). That is, the heads of Ukrzaliznytsia with commercial managers "smoked" 2.5 thousand UAH on each ton of diesel fuel, in total the state company overpaid 64.2 million UAH," he noted.
In September, according to his data, Ukrzaliznytsia held a tender for 14.6 thousand tons of coal worth 143.5 million UAH (price 9.8 thousand UAH/ton (excluding VAT)). At the same time, the Northern and Southern Quartering and Operational Departments of the Ministry of Defense bought 1.7 thousand tons of coal worth 14.8 million UAH (price 8.9 thousand UAH/ton (excluding VAT)).
"The heads of Ukrzaliznytsia with commercial managers "smoked" 0.9 thousand UAH on each ton of coal, in total the state company overpaid 13.2 million UAH," he reported.
In addition, Bondarenko emphasized, Ukrzaliznytsia continues to purchase wagons from PJSC "Kryukiv Railcar Building Plant", 25% of whose shares belong to Russian Stanislav Gamzalov, the owner of the wagon manufacturer "Metal Structures Plant" (Engels, Saratov region, Russia).
In general, the expert recalled that Mykhailo Rykovtsev, the head of the economic security service of Ukrzaliznytsia, joined NABU in 2016, having arrived in Kyiv from Odesa. While still a NABU detective, he registered 13.2 bitcoins (1.5 million dollars) to his unemployed wife. He also bought apartments on Lypkivskyi Street, next to the NABU headquarters, and in the elite new residential complex on Kudryashova (Mokra) 8-B, where prices start from 4 million for a one-room apartment. Currently, Rykovtsev is finishing building a country house in Boyarka, Bondarenko reported.
"In general, Rykovtsev is a well-off man with needs. After the Odesa tax office, working at NABU seemed insufficiently resourceful to him, so he moved to fight corruption at Ukrzaliznytsia, where the opportunities, of course, are more serious," the expert said.
According to him, the circumstances of obtaining the position of head of internal security of Ukrzaliznytsia are interesting.
"Rykovtsev opened criminal proceedings against the then head of security Kritsin, suspecting him of tender abuses. Then he searched the head of Ukrzaliznytsia Lyashchenko and enlisted the support of Infrastructure Minister Kubrakov when he became a NABU agent (bribery provocation). Voila - Kritsin was fired, and his position was taken by the honest and incorruptible NABU detective Rykovtsev. The result is multi-million dollar losses," Bondarenko concluded.
In his opinion, law enforcement officers should carefully examine Mykhailo Rykovtsev's assets and activities.