The open competition for the position of head of the State Customs Service of Ukraine is entering its final stage, with candidates still needing to undergo interviews with the competition commission. Among the favorites is the current deputy head of the SCS, Vladyslav Suvorov. However, his career path, connections with former officials of the dictatorial regime of fugitive president Viktor Yanukovych, and the property declarations of his family may indicate attempts by old customs elites to regain their influence over one of the key state bodies, UNN writes.
In March, the open competition for the position of head of the State Customs Service concludes, with candidates having to pass the final stage of selection - an interview with the competition commission. Our colleagues from Bihus.Info conducted a detailed analysis of the candidates for the positions. However, for some reason, one of the main contenders for the position of head of the customs service remained unnoticed by journalists.
This refers to Vladyslav Suvorov, who currently holds the position of Deputy Head of the State Customs Service of Ukraine. He is considered one of the main contenders for the position of Head of the SCS.
His person obviously deserves special attention, as both his career path and connections with the authorities during the time of fugitive president Viktor Yanukovych, as well as his family's wealth, are interesting.
Klymenko's Minzdokh and connections with the Yanukovych regime
From 2013 to 2014, Vladyslav Suvorov worked as the head of a department in the Customs Affairs Department of the Ministry of Revenues and Duties, better known as Minzdokh, under the leadership of the fugitive minister Oleksandr Klymenko, who is suspected of aiding the aggressor state.
At that time, Volodymyr Suvorov – Vladyslav Suvorov's father – first worked at the Izmail customs office, and after its liquidation, he headed the Izmail customs post, where he remained until early 2015. According to media reports, the father got his leadership positions thanks to Stepan Deryvolkov, deputy minister of the fugitive Klymenko, who oversaw customs during Yanukovych's time. According to media reports, Deryvolkov, like Klymenko and most representatives of the fugitive president's regime, fled to Russia.
According to journalists, it was Suvorov Sr. who was Deryvolkov's purse until his dismissal from customs authorities. Volodymyr Suvorov's main task at customs was to support the illegal schemes of the fugitive oligarch Serhiy Kurchenko with oil products.
"The scheme is simple: sea vessels with diesel fuel and gasoline arrived at the ports of Izmail and Reni. The cargo was declared in transit mode, according to documents it was reloaded onto river tankers, which then went abroad without cargo. Oil products remained on the territory of Ukraine without any taxation," stated reports in specialized Telegram channels.
In 2015, a criminal case was opened regarding the mentioned fact, three customs post employees were arrested, and Volodymyr Suvorov resigned from customs and, as claimed, left for annexed Crimea. Most likely to Kerch, since after his dismissal, a map of Kerch was found in his desk in his office, according to media reports. Journalists suggest that Volodymyr Suvorov was promised employment at Russian customs.
As a result, only ordinary customs officers were brought to justice, while the leadership managed to avoid responsibility.
It is worth noting that the aforementioned Stepan Deryvolkov also has close ties with the former head of the customs service during Yanukovych's time and ex-vice speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Ihor Kaletnik. According to media reports, after Russia's annexation of Crimea, Kaletnik, along with Deryvolkov and a number of other Ukrainian customs officers, participated in meetings on the peninsula at the Russian federal customs service.
Apparently, it was Deryvolkov who helped Vladyslav Suvorov get a job at Minzdokh in 2013 and later, after the fall of the Yanukovych regime, to remain in the customs authorities of Ukraine. Suvorov Sr. has already returned from annexed Crimea. He is currently in the territory controlled by Ukraine and, according to the declaration, works as the head of the Communal Institution "Center for Public Safety of Izmail City."
It is not excluded that by promoting Suvorov Jr. to the position of head of the customs service, representatives of Yanukovych's dictatorial regime want to fully regain their lost influence.
Assets worth UAH 5 million for a retired mother
After Minzdokh, Vladyslav Suvorov worked in the Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and Chernihiv customs offices, and also headed the customs department at the state company "Ukrspecexport." On June 3, 2020, he was appointed Deputy Head of the State Customs Service of Ukraine.
It is interesting that the Suvorov family has acquired elite property. Since 2024, Vladyslav Suvorov, along with his wife and children, has been living in an apartment of over 100 sq. m in the elite residential complex Greenville Park in Kyiv's Podil district. The cost of such housing starts from $230,000 without renovation, although his father's declaration states that it was purchased in 2022 for UAH 3.2 million. This property is registered to the official's mother, Olha Suvorova, who, according to Suvorov Sr.'s declaration, only has a pension as income.
In addition, in the same residential complex, Vladyslav Suvorov's mother owns two more parking spaces, purchased in 2025 for over UAH 400,000 each.
It is worth noting that, according to YouControl analytical platform data, Olha Suvorova has no business. At the same time, her husband's declaration states that Olha Suvorova also has a house in Izmail, and Volodymyr Suvorov has an official apartment there, which is owned by the Pridunaiska customs office.
In addition, according to media reports, the brother of Vladyslav Suvorov's wife owns a commercial premise in the same residential complex. Ukrainian officials often use a scheme where expensive property is registered to relatives to conceal illegally obtained funds.
In addition, according to the customs officer's declaration, his wife Maryna Suvorova purchased two brand new TOYOTA RAV4 cars last year for over UAH 2 million each. The purchases were made with a one-month difference. It should be noted that Maryna Suvorova works at the State Information and Analytical Center for Monitoring External Commodity Markets (SE "Derzhzovnishinform") and her annual salary is slightly more than UAH 500,000.
In addition, the family's declarations year after year show significant amounts of cash, particularly in dollars.
Vladyslav Suvorov is linked in the media not only to Klymenko and Kaletnik, but also to the scandalous SBU general, fugitive Andriy Naumov.
The latter became famous for being detained in early June 2022 while attempting to cross the border between Serbia and North Macedonia with undeclared funds: over 600,000 euros, approximately $125,000 in cash, and valuables. Perhaps these connections between Naumov and Suvorov explain how the ex-SBU general managed to pass customs control with such a large amount of cash and valuables?
After a more detailed analysis of the declarations and a study of the biography of the Deputy Head of the SCS, Vladyslav Suvorov, a logical question arises: can such a person effectively reform customs, as required by the IMF, and in general, can he remain in leadership positions in this body?