The ice has broken: the fight against pressure on business has moved from a standstill, but custom-made cases have not yet disappeared

The fight against pressure on business in Ukraine has gained momentum for the first time in many years, as the new team of the Prosecutor General's Office has launched mechanisms for direct communication with entrepreneurs and a revision of criminal proceedings. At the same time, some high-profile cases, which have all the hallmarks of being custom-ordered, still remain without a logical conclusion, which raises questions about whether the reform will be brought to a logical conclusion, writes UNN.

A new approach to an old problem

The concept of "pressure on business" in Ukraine has long ceased to be abstract and rather resembles a tradition of law enforcement agencies that has been passed down from one government to another. Currently, persecution has at least two dimensions: regulatory-tax and law enforcement. While entrepreneurs have adapted to some extent to legislative instability, changes in reporting, and fiscal approaches, abuses by law enforcement agencies often become a truly painful factor, capable of paralyzing a company's activities for years through account blocking, equipment seizures, and so on.

After the new team arrived at the Prosecutor General's Office, the course towards systemic counteraction to pressure on business became a priority. While still serving as the head of the State Tax Service, the current Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko actively communicated with entrepreneurs and understood the business's demand for real protection against custom-ordered criminal prosecution.

"StopPressure" as a direct action tool

In September 2025, the "StopPressure" portal was launched – a channel for direct communication between business and the prosecutor's office. Entrepreneurs can report attempts of illegal influence on them by law enforcement or control bodies.

According to Svitlana Lytvyn, Deputy Head of the Department in the Directorate for Supervision of Law Enforcement by Bodies Combating Crimes in the Sphere of Protection of National and International Investments, of the Prosecutor General's Office, as of February 5, 2026, 177 appeals were received through "StopPressure", of which 169 have already been reviewed.

As a result of the inspections, grounds for response were found in 36 cases, and measures were taken, which allowed for the prompt restoration of violated rights of entrepreneurs. In 8 criminal proceedings, decisions were ensured in accordance with Article 284 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine. In some cases, we even received letters of gratitude for the work done, posts on social networks. This indicates the importance of the "StopPressure" portal for business. At the same time, in 133 cases, no grounds for response were found. This is mainly explained by the fact that the circumstances cited by the applicants were not confirmed or no signs of illegal pressure were found. The remaining reports are in progress – they are carefully checked to ensure an objective and complete review.

These figures indicate that the prosecutor's office is indeed revising criminal proceedings. In a number of high-profile cases, including those concerning LLC "Bakhmachgazbudservis", LLC "Mykolay-plus", PJSC "Sukha-Balka", FG "Veresh" and others, after additional verification, the cases were closed and arrests were lifted.

At the same time, the PGO emphasizes that "StopPressure" is not a tool to avoid responsibility. If proper evidence is collected in a criminal proceeding, it is sent to court.

The case has moved forward, but problems remain

Despite the fact that the fight against pressure on business has ceased to be declarative, the problem has not yet been exhausted. Currently, businesses most often complain about violations during searches; non-execution of court decisions regarding the return of property; unfounded delays in pre-trial investigation; disproportionate measures to secure criminal proceedings. Regarding the latter, this includes blocking accounts, seizing equipment or machinery necessary for the enterprise's operation.

The National Police, BEB, SBU, as well as customs and tax authorities, are the objects of the greatest criticism. It is in these segments that the largest array of conflicts with business has historically formed.

Despite the revision of old cases, some proceedings still remain in a "suspended" state without a logical conclusion. Formally, the duration of consideration is not a sign of fabrication or custom-ordering of the proceeding, but for business, years of uncertainty mean actual destruction without a verdict.

The "Konstanta" group case: an indicator of unfinished reforms

One prominent example is the persecution of the "Konstanta" group – companies operating in the aerospace and air transportation sectors.

This refers to a multi-year criminal prosecution which, according to lawyers, including advocates and former judges, bears the hallmarks of a custom-ordered nature. Investigative actions, searches, property seizures, equipment confiscation – all of this is intended to block the operations of companies working in a strategic sector for the country.

As UNN previously reported, at the end of 2022, the National Police opened criminal proceedings No. 12022000000001276 against a group of aviation companies, including "Aviakompaniya Konstanta". Formally, the investigation concerns alleged complicity with the aggressor state and misappropriation of property. The case was opened based on a statement by the head of the NGO "Council of ATO Veterans" Pavlo Moshkovsky, who is associated with the company "Ukrainian Helicopters".

In his statement, he spoke about a "conspiracy theory" allegedly aimed at weakening Ukraine's economic security and seizing strategic enterprises in the aviation industry, including SE "Antonov", which, by the way, remains state-owned. At the same time, after almost four years of investigation, no facts confirming these claims have been established.

Despite the fact that crimes of this category fall under the jurisdiction of the SBU, the proceedings were investigated by the Main Investigation Department of the National Police until 2025, after which they were transferred to the SBU. In parallel, investigators initiated large-scale searches, seizure of equipment, and freezing of company accounts, which effectively paralyzed economic activity and led to the disruption of contracts, including for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and international humanitarian missions. 

Similar criminal proceedings, opened by statements from the same NGO "Council of ATO Veterans" in the SBU and the SBI, had previously been closed due to the absence of a crime. In addition, according to UNN, the SBU and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine officially confirmed the absence of grounds for applying sanctions to the "Konstanta" group of companies.

The companies emphasize that all foreign counterparties, particularly in the UAE, underwent strict international compliance, and no state bank recorded suspicious financial transactions.

It is worth noting that PJSC "Aviakompaniya Konstanta" is a permanent official carrier for international humanitarian missions and non-profit organizations, and also fulfills orders for partner states, including NATO countries. The company is one of the leading operators of "Antonov" aircraft and the operator of the largest fleet of An-26s, which makes it an important part of Ukraine's aviation capabilities. The enterprise has established a full cycle of maintenance for aircraft manufactured by SE "Antonov". 

Since 2019, the company has been an official partner of the UN and holds EASA TCO, UK TCO, and US FAA certificates, confirming its compliance with international requirements. The group's airlines also regularly undergo UN inspections and audits as part of contractor selection and oversight procedures. 

In addition, the group's airlines have the status of critically important enterprises for the functioning of the economy and ensuring the vital activity of the population during a special period, granted by the State Aviation Service. The airlines also have the status of critically important enterprises in the field of air transport, granted by the Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine. 

Balance between business protection and criminal liability

The key problem with such cases is their deliberate protraction. The absence of suspicions for a long period, sluggish investigation, and the existence of identical proceedings closed due to the absence of a crime, raise questions about the real motives of law enforcement officers' actions. For companies, this means frozen or disrupted contracts, difficulties with financing, loss of trust from international partners, and a reduction in investment inflow.

It is precisely such cases that demonstrate that despite the launch of the "StopPressure" platform and the closure of a number of unfounded criminal proceedings, the complete cleansing of the system has not yet occurred. Some old custom-ordered cases continue to live their own inertial life.

Currently, there has been a strong impetus for a real fight against illegal pressure on business. However, the ultimate success of the reform will be measured not by the number of appeals received, but by the fate of the most complex and high-profile cases that have remained an instrument of influence and pressure on entrepreneurs for years.

Until such proceedings receive a transparent and lawful conclusion, the fight against pressure on business will be considered only partially completed.