Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine
The man posed as an NABU employee and promised to influence tax inspections. The court set his bail at 998,000 hryvnias.
The authorities are preparing to reopen the skies, but without resolving aviation leasing issues, Ukrainian carriers may disappear. Their return should support the economy.
Ukrainian military forces struck a Russian Buk-M3, a base for attack UAVs, an electronic warfare station, telecommunications nodes and repair units.
The Prosecutor General’s Office and the Economic Security Bureau uncovered a network exchanging currencies and digital assets without licenses. Following more than 30 searches, funds totaling UAH 630 million were seized.
The authorities are working on the safe resumption of civil flights without setting a timeline. The aviation industry faces the risk of leasing being taxed as royalties.
The Ministry of Finance is asking the aviation industry to provide examples of leasing transactions in order to prepare tax guidance. The Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine interprets aircraft rentals as royalties.
The Chess Federation of Ukraine asks the SBU to assess Mykhailo Podolyak's actions and open a case over his appointment to FIDE's leadership. The organization does not recognize him as Ukraine's representative.
The ESBU announced a shift toward predictable engagement with business. The tax treatment of aircraft leasing could test these principles in practice.
The Economic Security Bureau may assess payments within the framework of criminal proceedings, but it does not have the authority to independently expand the concepts of the Tax Code or establish new taxation rules. Against the backdrop of criminal cases against airlines due to the interpretation of leasing payments as royalties, the issue requires a unified approach by the state.
The president wants to reinstate full asset declarations for law enforcement officers and military personnel not on the front line. Militants and personnel in high-risk areas are exempt.
The Taxpayers Association called on the Ministry of Finance to unify the taxation of aviation leasing payments to non-residents as soon as possible. The uncertainty has led to criminal cases and risks for the industry.
Even if a business operates transparently and pays all its taxes, the risk of a search remains high. Under such circumstances, the involvement of a lawyer is critically necessary.
Against the backdrop of a severe budget deficit and the forced restriction of government spending, it is particularly important to preserve businesses that continue to operate and pay taxes. At the same time, the aviation industry, which despite the closed airspace paid almost UAH 27 billion in taxes and fees in 2022–2025, has come under pressure due to a new interpretation of aviation leasing taxation.
Despite the reform and change in the BEB leadership, businesses continue to complain about the Bureau’s actions. The situation involving airlines, against which criminal proceedings were opened due to the interpretation of leasing payments as royalties, is illustrative.
The forthcoming consultation from the Ministry of Finance will not automatically cancel liability, but it will confirm the ambiguity in interpreting the taxation of aircraft leasing and become an argument in disputes.
Lawyer Roman Tulin explained that the analytical conclusions of the Economic Security Bureau are used as a “working version” to initiate investigative actions.
Ratcliffe failed to convince Putin to make concessions regarding Ukraine. After the visit, Russia intensified its strikes on civilian infrastructure.
The Economic Security Bureau interprets aircraft leasing as royalties and has opened cases against airlines. The lawyer emphasized: the final decision on taxation is made by the court.
Due to the acute shortage of "air-to-air" missiles, Ukrainian F-16s sometimes rely solely on guns. Weapons supplies are being rationed.
The Finance Ministry plans to unify the taxation of airlines’ lease payments to non-residents. The UTP will not change the law, but may affect unresolved BEB disputes.
The EU approved €6. 1 billion in defense funding for Ukraine, including air defense. Member states also promised additional resources, but provided no details.
The Finance Ministry plans to establish a working group to provide tax clarification regarding airlines’ leasing payments to nonresidents. The industry expects a swift decision.
The Economic Security Bureau says it is abandoning punitive methods and deepening its dialogue with the Business Ombudsman Council. At the same time, the share of complaints against the Bureau in 2025–2026 has not decreased.
The Economic Security Bureau confirmed four proceedings concerning aircraft leasing and refused to explain why it equates it with royalties. The Bureau cited the secrecy of the investigation.
The Tax Committee of the Public Council initiated a working group under the Ministry of Finance to analyze leasing payments to non-residents. The group will prepare a draft general tax consultation.
The Business Ombudsman Council has recorded the opening of cases by the Economic Security Bureau before tax liabilities are agreed. Analytical reports are often deemed inadmissible evidence.
In 2025, the ESB received 29% of businesses’ complaints about law enforcement agencies, and the same share in 2026. Entrepreneurs complain about property seizures and investigative actions.
Zelenskyy said that Ukraine’s defense industry needs to scale up the production of drones and long-range systems. The President called for creating protection against Russian ballistic missiles.
MP Kreidenko called on the Cabinet of Ministers to establish a working group following the BEB's new interpretation of the taxation of aircraft leasing as royalties. The Ministry of Finance should provide a single clarification.
74% of the BEB leadership failed the re-certification, but experts consider the reform too slow and incomplete. They call for all employees to be vetted, an audit of criminal cases to be conducted, and the Public Oversight Council to be relaunched.