The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine plans to consider the candidacy of Ihor Zelinsky for the post of head of the State Aviation Service of Ukraine. The submission to the Cabinet of Ministers, according to UNN sources, is being promoted by Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction Oleksiy Kuleba. Such an appointment entails a number of serious risks associated with the decisions Zelinsky made while working as deputy head of the State Aviation Service.
Career advancement after dismissal
The situation with Zelinsky today looks paradoxical. In February 2025, Deputy Prime Minister Kuleba dismissed Zelinsky from the post of deputy head of the State Aviation Service. At that time, Zelinsky was the "right hand" of the then head of the department, Oleksandr Bilchuk, whose activities also raise many questions. After Bilchuk's dismissal from the post of head of the State Aviation Service, Kuleba unexpectedly changed his position and submitted Zelinsky's candidacy for consideration by the Cabinet of Ministers - now for the post of head of the aviation regulator.
This personnel turnaround is taking place against the backdrop of political turbulence surrounding the Deputy Prime Minister himself. A draft resolution on Kuleba's dismissal due to corruption scandals in the field of reconstruction, particularly during his tenure as head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration, has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada. The explanatory note to the draft resolution mentions journalistic investigations into inflated work costs and possible embezzlement of budget funds.
Against this background, the promotion of "his own" person to the post of head of the State Aviation Service increasingly resembles an attempt to maintain influence over a strategic regulator in the event of political resignation.
Bilchuk's legacy and Zelinsky's role
The government dismissed the head of the State Aviation Service, Oleksandr Bilchuk, after he decided in August 2025 to transfer the maintenance of repair documentation for Mi-8MT(MTV) helicopters to AAL Group Ltd. The official ignored the presence of certified enterprises in Ukraine capable of performing these functions since 2014, after the start of Russia's war against Ukraine. His choice fell on an offshore structure that is connected with the Russian defense-industrial complex. The ultimate beneficiary of AAL Group Ltd is the company "Russian Helicopters", which is part of the Russian state concern "Rostec".
It is worth noting that back in 2024, the US Armed Forces Transportation Command USTRANSCOM recognized AAL Group Ltd as unsuitable for cooperation, apparently due to the company's connection with the Russian Federation.
As a result, this did not prevent Bilchuk from making a decision in its favor, which led to his subsequent dismissal. It is obvious that Zelinsky, as his deputy and "right hand", could not have been unaware of these processes and, moreover, probably took direct part in them. After all, it was he who acted as the head of the State Aviation Service when Bilchuk was on vacation or business trips.
Destruction of Ukrainian transport aviation
Representatives of the Ukrainian aviation market characterize the period of Zelinsky's work as deputy head of the State Aviation Service (2020-2025) as a time of systemic and purposeful destruction of transport aviation. If in 2016 there were more than 20 Il-76 aircraft in the state register, by the beginning of 2025 there were only two left, and even those are not airworthy.
Experts point out that it was precisely due to the decisions of the previous leadership of the State Aviation Service that these aircraft were excluded from the Ukrainian register and actually came under Russia's control. During this period, regulatory decisions were also made aimed at creating artificial obstacles to the operation of Il-76 in Ukraine.
In the context of Russia's full-scale invasion, such actions look particularly dangerous, as the state has lost a transport fleet critical for military and humanitarian logistics.
Blocking the use of Il-76MD for army needs
Since the 1990s, Ukraine has had solutions that allowed the operation of Il-76MD aircraft without complex bureaucratic procedures, including their re-registration between various departments, including the Ministry of Defense. In June 2023, when Zelinsky was acting head of the State Aviation Service, he officially confirmed the absence of obstacles to the use of transport aircraft in the interests of Ukraine. This position was supported by both representatives of the aviation market and the Ministry of Defense.
However, six months later, in December, he radically changed his vision, stating that Il-76MDs do not have civil type certificates and cannot be registered. As a result, the use of aircraft for military, humanitarian and evacuation missions was blocked.
In addition, this decision led to critically needed aviation equipment standing idle, while the state continued to spend budget funds on its maintenance. Thus, it is obvious that significant damage, including material damage, was caused to the state.
Violation of sanctions legislation and cooperation with the Russian Federation
It should be noted that after the illegal annexation of Crimea and Russia's invasion of Donbas in 2014, Ukraine imposed sanctions against the Russian developer of Il-76 aircraft, PJSC "Il". That is, any cooperation with this Russian enterprise, both at the private and state levels, was prohibited.
However, this did not prevent Zelinsky from issuing dozens of airworthiness review certificates for aircraft based on the decisions of the sanctioned PJSC "Il".
It should be noted that the decision of the Russian PJSC "Il", issued in June 2022, states, among other things, that "in case of replacement of the operator (owner) or re-registration of the aircraft, the "Decision" loses its force and is subject to re-registration in the prescribed manner." So it turns out that Zelinsky issued a certificate based on an invalid decision.
In fact, in this way he legalized the use of documents of the aggressor country's enterprise, which, according to experts, could have brought the Russian side tens of millions of dollars in income.
At the same time, there is a certified organization in Ukraine capable of providing appropriate support for Il-76 aircraft of PJSC "Il" without involving Russian sanctioned companies that are part of the aggressor country's defense-industrial complex.
As representatives of the aviation market explained to UNN, Zelinsky's decision put Il-75 aircraft operators before a choice: either cooperate with the Russian sanctioned developer, or refuse to use the aircraft.
According to lawyer Dmytro Kasianenko, such actions by Zelinsky should be the subject of an investigation by law enforcement agencies.
"The regulator has no right to issue permits, certificates or other acts if their basis is decisions or conclusions of Russian companies that are under sanctions. The sanctions regime means a complete ban on any direct or indirect cooperation, including through documents, expert opinions or "technical justifications". Issuing a permit in such a situation actually legalizes the influence of a sanctioned entity through a state body of Ukraine. If such permits are issued, this gives grounds to talk about circumvention of sanctions and continuation of actual interaction with the Russian Federation," he explained.
According to the lawyer, in case of proving intent, it is about possible qualification under articles 111-2 (complicity with the aggressor state), if intent and real assistance to the aggressor country are revealed, article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (abuse of power), provided that the decision was made contrary to the interests of the State Aviation Service, article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (official negligence), if officials "did not check" sanctions restrictions and procedures. The investigation of such facts falls within the competence of the Security Service of Ukraine and other law enforcement agencies.
Personnel decision as a test for the state
The story with Zelinsky is not just about past mistakes. Some of the decisions they made continue to create problems for the aviation industry today and jeopardize national security. The appointment of a person with such a background to the post of head of the State Aviation Service looks like an attempt to preserve old practices under a new guise.
It is obvious that in the conditions of a full-scale war, the Government cannot allow the aviation regulator to be headed by an official whose activities are associated with damage to national interests, including security, violation of sanctions, and playing into the hands of the enemy.