The head of “Ukrposhta” Smilyansky filed a lawsuit against the National Bank

Lawyers for “Ukrposhta” head Ihor Smilyansky have filed a lawsuit against the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) and are demanding that the decision to dismiss him due to professional unsuitability be overturned.

Smilyansky wrote about this on Facebook.

"I am confident in my position and am ready to prove it in court. I consider the decision against me illegal and biased. And I really want to hear the arguments why the head of ʼUkrposhtaʼ was treated with an approach that was not applied to the heads of other operating banks and financial institutions, even after fines many times larger than those of ʼUkrposhtaʼ, and billions of hryvnias of cash embezzlement proven by the NBU itself," he wrote.

Smilyansky added that the lawsuit was filed personally by him, not by “Ukrposhta”.

What preceded

There is an ongoing conflict between “Ukrposhta” and the National Bank over “Ukrposhta” desire to obtain a banking license. During 2024-2026, “Ukrposhta” received fines from the National Bank four times — their total amount exceeds UAH 20 million.

In March 2026, the National Bank questioned Smilyanskyʼs professional competence. At that time, he stated that "this is not the first time NBU has lost its banks and any signs of impartiality".

On June 23, NBU declared Smilyansky unfit for work and recommended his removal because “Ukrposhta” had had problems with risks, financial monitoring, and work in the payment market for years. They believe he lacks the experience to manage the companyʼs financial services. Smilyansky himself called the decision politically motivated.

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