A billion hryvnias without tenders: journalists revealed how Asters profits from the state

Oleksiy Didkovsky, born in 1974, heads Ukraine's largest law firm, Asters. According to the official version, it is a successful business built on professionalism. According to the facts, it is a system for siphoning off state money through legal services at astronomical rates without tenders, the relevant publication is provided without edits or comments by Politeka, writes UNN.

"Ukrnafta: a scheme through Reznikov

On December 26, 2022, Ukrnafta signed an agreement with Asters without any tender. Hourly payment — from 200 to 700 euros. Ten million hryvnias monthly, 120 million annually. How did this become possible?

Oleksiy Reznikov, who headed Asters from 2018 to 2021 and declared almost 20 million hryvnias there for 2019, became Minister of Defense in 2021. A year later, Ukrnafta, which was transferred under the management of the Ministry of Defense, concludes a contract with his former firm.

Serhiy Koretsky, head of Ukrnafta, publicly promised to use Prozorro. But a direct agreement was concluded despite having its own staff of lawyers. After the scandal, the payment was delayed, and the money was transferred only in the summer of 2023 — when it became clear that Reznikov would be dismissed.

Ukrzaliznytsia: abnormally low price and half of Asters

In 2022 and 2024, Asters accompanied the restructuring of Ukrzaliznytsia's Eurobonds. Formally, the contract is with the British Dechert LLP, which won the tender with an abnormally low price: 12.9 million hryvnias instead of the initial 26 million.

Justification? Involving Asters as a subcontractor provides flexible rates. The result: half of the contract is effectively Asters. The scheme is flawless — formally legal, but in fact, state money goes to Didkovsky without a direct tender.

PrivatBank and NBU: 825 million and disappearing cases

After the nationalization of PrivatBank in 2016, Asters received contracts for legal support. The NBU paid 125 million hryvnias. PrivatBank — about 700 million. In total, almost a billion in state funds.

Rates: managing partners — 315 euros/hour, partners — 200 euros, lawyers — 120 euros. In 2019 alone, PrivatBank transferred over 583 million hryvnias to Asters Consult.

In January 2021, the SBI opened a case on signs of embezzlement of funds. In 2019, the SBU investigated a case of treason and the transfer of confidential banking information about SBU employees to individuals associated with the Russian special services. Both cases mysteriously disappeared.

The agreement from the NBU was signed by Kateryna Rozhkova — the same person whom the Belgian publication New Europe accused of money laundering together with Didkovsky.

Shocking figures

Ukrnafta — 120 million annually. PrivatBank — 700 million over several years. NBU — 125 million. Ukrzaliznytsia — tens of millions through the British. Oschadbank — amounts unknown, but significant.

Over a billion hryvnias from the state. These are hospitals, schools, doctors' salaries. This is money during the war. And it settles in the pockets of partners of one law firm at rates that even top Western firms could not dream of."