SBU to investigate possible harm to the state if Zelinsky is appointed head of the State Aviation Service

The Security Service of Ukraine is conducting a special background check on Ihor Zelinskyi, a candidate for the position of head of the State Aviation Service, during which it will consider the potential harm to the state from such an appointment. This was reported by the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine in response to an inquiry from UNN.

Earlier, Vice Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba submitted Ihor Zelinskyi's candidacy for the position of head of the State Aviation Service to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for consideration. Deputy Vice Prime Minister – Deputy Minister of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine Serhiy Derkach explained to journalists that the agency was looking for the best candidate.

SSU Special Background Check

"Regarding the possible harm to the interests of the state in the event of personnel decisions concerning I. Zelinskyi, we inform you that the Security Service of Ukraine, by letter dated 30.12.2025 No. 8/3/2-1351, informed that this issue will be taken into account by the relevant SSU units during their official activities, and in case of grounds provided by law, comprehensive response measures will be taken," the ministry's response states.

At the same time, the agency added that the National Agency of Ukraine for Civil Service conducted an assessment of Zelinskyi's performance as deputy head of the State Aviation Service in 2020-2024. According to the conclusions, for example, in December 2024, his activities were rated as "excellent," while the work of the head of the State Aviation Service, Oleksandr Bilchuk, in 2024 was rated as "positive."

Bilchuk was dismissed in the autumn of 2025 due to a decision to transfer the maintenance documentation support for Mi-8MT(MTV) type 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 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 as early as 2024, the United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) recognized AAL Group Ltd as unsuitable for cooperation, apparently due to the company's connection with the Russian Federation.

Zelinskyi's decisions that clearly harmed the state

Zelinskyi was dismissed a little earlier – in February 2025. As UNN previously reported, representatives of the Ukrainian aviation market characterize Zelinskyi's period 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 were not airworthy.

Experts point out that it was precisely due to the decisions of the previous leadership of the State Aviation Service (the head of the regulator Oleksandr Bilchuk and his deputy Ihor Zelinskyi) that these aircraft were excluded from the Ukrainian register and effectively 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, which is clearly an undermining of the state's defense capabilities.

In addition, since the 1990s, it was possible to operate Il-76MD aircraft without additional paperwork for their re-registration between various departments, including the Ministry of Defense. In June 2023, when Zelinskyi was acting head of the State Aviation Service, after appeals from aviation market representatives and the Ministry of Defense, he officially confirmed the absence of obstacles to the use of transport aircraft in the interests of Ukraine.

However, just six months later, in December, he changed his mind, 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 the downtime of aircraft and additional budget expenditures for their maintenance, which constitutes material damage to the state.

It should be noted that after the illegal annexation of Crimea and Russia's invasion of Donbas, Ukraine imposed sanctions against the Russian developer of Il-76 aircraft, PJSC "Il." This means that any cooperation with this Russian enterprise is prohibited.

Despite this, Zelinskyi issued dozens of airworthiness review certificates for aircraft based on a decision by the sanctioned PJSC "Il" from June 2022. In fact, in this way, he legalized the use of documents from the aggressor country's enterprise, which, according to experts, could have brought tens of millions of dollars in revenue to the Russian side.

Moreover, Zelinskyi ignored the fact that 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, Zelinskyi's decision forced Il-75 aircraft operators to choose between cooperating with the Russian sanctioned developer or abandoning the use of the aircraft.

Such a contrast between the formal assessments of the NACS and the real consequences of management decisions raises a sharp question about the criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of civil servants in wartime conditions. If the legalization of documents of sanctioned Russian companies, the blocking of the use of transport aircraft by the army, and the loss of dozens of aircraft to the aggressor country are qualified as "excellent" work, then what activity can generally be recognized as ineffective or harmful to the state?

Crimes against the interests of the state

Experts interviewed by UNN note that such actions by Zelinskyi could have caused significant damage to our state's defense capabilities and could be qualified as aiding the aggressor state.

"This is not administrative responsibility, but these are very harsh and gross violations (making decisions based on documents of a sanctioned Russian company that is part of Russia's military-industrial complex - ed.), violations of current legislation during wartime, because they concern precisely structures related to the enemy state. And it is clear that, first and foremost, I am convinced that this is the function of the Security Service of Ukraine. Because what concerns external relations, there is counterintelligence for that, there are other departments... The only answer is that this is a crime against the state of Ukraine, if such facts exist. Well, and here journalists should also help - to publicize such situations," noted security expert Serhiy Shabovta.

At the same time, lawyer Dmytro Kasianenko noted that Zelinskyi's described actions can be qualified as aiding the aggressor state, which falls under the jurisdiction of the SSU.

"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 effectively legalizes the influence of a sanctioned entity through a state body of Ukraine. If such permits are issued, it gives grounds to talk about circumventing sanctions and continuing actual interaction with the Russian Federation," explained lawyer Dmytro Kasianenko.

In aggregate, the published facts and official responses from government agencies indicate that the issue of Ihor Zelinskyi's possible appointment as head of the State Aviation Service goes far beyond a mere personnel decision. It concerns systemic management actions that, in wartime conditions, could have direct negative consequences for Ukraine's defense capabilities, economic interests, and sanctions policy. This, in turn, creates serious risks for national security if such a person is appointed head of the aviation regulator, who has access to sensitive information. In this situation, the state's responsibility lies not only in reacting ex post facto but also in preventing personnel decisions that could repeatedly harm Ukraine's strategic interests.