The investigation says that employees of SBU, the National Police and PGO helped the “Khimprom” drug cartel. Babel was in court, read the suspicion, talked with the ex-minister and tells everything about the case

Main characters

Andriy Osipov, nicknamed "Criminal", is the founder and leader of a criminal organization.

He was convicted three times: for robbery, illegal seizure of a vehicle, hooliganism, and causing bodily harm.

He came to the attention of the NABU and SAPO in 2022, when he demanded $1 million on behalf of SBU for not extraditing a Russian citizen to his homeland. The case materials include CIAs against him for 2022, 2023, and 2025.

According to this information, Osipov maintains close ties with law enforcement officers, and on tapes he mentions a "Korostyshiv hooligan" (apparently the former head of SBU Vasyl Malyuk). The investigation believes that using his connections with law enforcement officers, Osipov created a criminal organization that was formed from 2022 to 2025.

At this time, the organizationʼs members distributed roles among themselves and established channels of influence.

Yehor Burkin, nicknamed "Mexican", is the founder and leader of the transnational drug cartel "Khimprom".

Since 2012, the cartel has been operating in Russia, and then expanded its influence to Ukraine. Burkin is a citizen of the Russian Federation, who in 2014 received a Ukrainian passport in the name of Yehor Levchenko.

In 2016, he was declared wanted in Russia. And since 2019, he has been wanted in Ukraine. Despite this, he managed to build a network of drug production and call centers in Ukraine.

In December 2023, the President of Ukraine imposed personal sanctions against him. No later than October 2025, Burkin joined Osipovʼs criminal organization. His main assets were a network of call centers and “U420” stores, which sold a particularly dangerous psychotropic substance under the guise of "souvenirs".

The investigation claims that in the organization, Burkin was supposed to ensure the operation and development of the “U420” network of call centers and stores, and to look for people there at various levels — from managing centers and stores to recruiting operators for executive positions.

Burkin also financed the criminal organization and distributed funds, in particular among law enforcement officers who helped conceal its activities. “Mexican” transferred funds to accounts, crypto wallets, or transferred them in cash. He was also responsible for the safety of the organization’s members, searching for and assessing threats.

Serhiy Duka, nicknamed "Akim", is a major general, deputy head of the department for the protection of national statehood of SBU.

According to the investigation, he was brought into the organization by Osipov no later than October 2025, but they have known each other since at least 2022.

According to the investigation, Duka involved SBU employees who communicated with Osipov and helped him solve issues, ignored the organizationʼs crimes, and resolved Osipovʼs issues with other heads of law enforcement agencies.

Thanks to these connections, Duka received information about possible investigations into the organizationʼs activities, and provided Osipov and others with certificates for crossing the border.

"Artem Lorenzo" is the organizer of the structural part of the organization, which ensured the operation of call centers.

It is not yet known who is hiding behind this nickname.

Volodymyr Tsenov, nicknamed "Price", is the acting head of the strategic investigations department of the National Police.

He was responsible for covering up the activities of call centers. Osipov recruited him into the scheme in early January 2026. Their correspondence began on January 5. During the search, $45 000 was seized from Tsenov.

Oleksandr Demyanchuk, nicknamed "Consultant", was the deputy head of the Criminal Investigation Department of the National Police in the Kyiv region.

He was responsible for security, covered up criminal activity, and coordinated certain areas of the organizationʼs work. He was recruited by Osipov.

Athlete Vitaliy Rybalko (nicknamed "Boxer") and Hungarian Tarik Pal (nicknamed "Pasha") are subordinates of "Criminal" in the backbone.

On the instructions of the organizers, they tracked down people who had wronged the organization or were competitors, and beat them. They could also perform other jobs, like, transporting funds, etc.

In total, there were 6 to 8 such people in the organization. They systematically trained and went to the shooting range, and one of the mercenaries was taught to fly a UAV. Rybalko is now on trial for unlawful possession of property.

According to the investigation, there are at least 12 people in the organization, but the investigation does not reveal the activities of some of them.

Episode 1. "Covering up" of call centers

These are at least 55 offices in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, and Ivano-Frankivsk, where about 3 000 people worked. The centers not only defrauded Ukrainian citizens, but also worked in EU countries.

Each office paid a certain amount for the “covering up”, which was divided between three departments: SBU, the National Police, and PGO. Osipov kept records of these call centers, and policeman Tsenov was responsible for not noticing their activities and making sure that other law enforcement officers did not touch the call centers.

Every month, by the 5th, lists with the exact addresses of the call centers were submitted to the security forces, and payment was received in the USDT cryptocurrency to predetermined wallets.

NABU and SAPO claim that once law enforcement officers made a mistake in the address and accidentally came to search the call center, which was "covered" by the criminal organization of Osipov and Burkin.

During the search, the National Police seized equipment that Osipov was trying to return. The NABU recordings contain a message from Osipov, in which he worries that this will block his illegal activities.

Tsenov was engaged in returning the seized property and advised on how to properly appeal his arrest. He recommended filing 5 identical petitions with the Pechersk District Court so that at least one of them would be distributed to the right judge, who would make the right decision (for a fee).

The case was considered by Pechersk Court judge Roman Novak, who eventually returned the property. Another judge of the Pechersk Court who appears in the case is Tetyana Ostapchuk. For now, both judges are participating in the case as witnesses with whom the suspect — Tsenov — is prohibited from communicating.

At the same time, the media reported that both judges have already been searched. According to the investigation, 47 000 USDT were transferred to the crypto wallet that Tsenov provided to Osipov.

At the end of July 2026, the president announced the fight against call centers, and a meeting was held on this topic in the UCP. After that, Tsenov and Duka warned Osipov that it was worth suspending work. The investigation has an announcement that was distributed among key call center employees.

Separately, the investigation notes that Osipov involved an employee of the Prosecutor Generalʼs Office in the organization, who also concealed the work of the call centers. The materials on this person were separated into a separate case.

Episode Two — Drug Trafficking and Lobbying Through U420

The U420 chain of stores was owned by Burkin, Osipov had a share in this business and received a percentage of the turnover every month. These stores appeared in the spring of 2025 and sold “souvenirs” with cannabidiol. Despite the declaration that these were legal and certified products, in fact they were prohibited psychotropic substances. To circumvent the ban on distribution, the mixture was mixed with other substances according to a formula that was not formally prohibited by Ukrainian legislation. If the composition of the solution was recognized as prohibited, it would have been necessary to change the recipe and destroy all existing stocks of the product.

To ensure the smooth operation of the business, Burkin asked Osipov to find a way to bribe the Minister of Internal Affairs, at that time Igor Klymenko, and the head of the Ministry of Health, Viktor Lyashko, with a bribe of $500 thousand each. The tapes then talked about Klymenko, and Osipov was ready to add another $200 thousand to whoever would go to the minister to negotiate. Osipov noted that he had sent a person to the minister.

Скриншот з відео НАБУ

Скриншот з відео НАБУ

At the same time, the defendants learned about the preparation by Bihus.Info journalists of an investigation into the U420 network, which was actively promoted by famous bloggers and which sold dangerous synthetic drugs under the guise of souvenirs.

There is an episode on the tapes where Osipov is considering how to order an attack on journalist Denis Bigus: to pour acid on him, set fire to some property, or beat him, and to lure him abroad, to the Dominican Republic, Cambodia, or Mexico, and “close him up” there. He also discusses the possibility of involving the SBU’s “T Department” to influence Bigus or involving the sanctioned blogger Anatoly Shariy in order to counteract the resonance caused by the Bihus.Info investigation, which was published in March 2026. “Brother, what do they charge Shariy with? I think it’s necessary. We need to shift the focus to legalization,” Burkin asked Osipov. In addition to the attack on Bigus, Burkin also discussed the beatings of public activists and military veterans who protested against drug centers.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs claims that NABU detectives are not the first to investigate the crimes of Khimprom. After the release of the tapes, Deputy Head of the National Police Andriy Nebytov recalled that the National Police dealt with Khimprom from September 2025 to April 2026, as a result of which 105 U420 drug shops were closed. “The U420 network does not exist as a result of our special operation, not a single shop has resumed work,” former Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko told reporters. In the winter of 2026, the National Police detained 23 members of the Khimprom power bloc, in April it closed drug shops, seized crypto accounts containing 4 million USDT, detained and reported suspicions to six store managers, and in August it detained seven people who were in charge of call centers through which drug network employees were recruited. During this time, Burkin, who is hiding abroad, also received two suspicions. In addition, in April 2026, the National Police published recordings of threats to Ihor Klymenko, Andriy Nebytov, and the current head of the drug crime department, Dmytro Torgal. This is confirmed by the NABU and SAPO tapes, in which Burkin says that he is ready to give $500 thousand for Nebytovʼs wife to be poured with acid, or $2 million for Torgalʼs resignation. Klymenko himself denies that anyone came to him with such offers.

However, Nebytov and Klymenko’s statements that U420 stores no longer exist are only partially true. There really are no stores with that name, but you can find a store online with the same logo and one changed letter in the name (for obvious reasons, we won’t specify it), and most importantly, with the same set of “souvenirs”. Whether they belong to the Khimprom chain is unknown to the editorial office.

Episode Three — Issuance of Counterfeit Euros

The investigation notes that during 2026, members of the criminal organization established the production of counterfeit euros. The main actors in this episode are Osipov, a Hungarian Tarik Pal nicknamed "Pasha" and a police officer Oleksandr Demyanchuk nicknamed "Consultant". They set up a workshop where they placed printing equipment and produced counterfeit banknotes with denominations from €5 to €500. The banknotes had high-quality imitation of security elements for further sale, in particular in EU countries. A video of this workshop and how these euros are printed was found on Osipovʼs phone. Police officer Demyanchuk reported to Osipov about the quality of the counterfeit euros. On July 30, during a search of Osipovʼs car, a test batch of 10 counterfeit €200 banknotes with the same series and number, which Demyanchuk sent to Osipov, was seized. They did not have time to use the counterfeit money. Detectives did not find the equipment during the searches.

Скриншот з відео НАБУ

Скриншот з відео НАБУ

Episode Four — Attacks and Beatings of People

Detectives determined that members of a criminal organization kidnapped people, tortured them, and extorted millions of dollars from them. The scheme involved Osipov, his security wing, “Pasha” and “Boxer,” and Oleksandr Demyanchuk from the National Police.

A separate episode concerns the attack on businessman Vitaliy Yakimenko on July 7, 2026. He was tracked down through the cameras of the “Clean City”. As the investigation revealed, the attackers gained access to the system from the account of an employee of the Department for the Protection of National Statehood of the SBU. Yakimenko was followed on the street by Rybalko, who, together with others, attacked him near the gym where the businessman was training. Three people held Yakimenko and beat him with a metal pipe. The attack was recorded by surveillance cameras, the criminals seized the recording and sent it to Osipov’s phone.

Demyanchuk provided the escape route. A few hours after the attack, he wrote to Osipov: “There is no interception plan, the fighters have been evacuated to the region,” and the very next day Demyanchuk reported on the investigation of the attack. Demyanchuk also instructed the participants on security measures, checking devices through which they could be monitored. Rybalko reported to Osipov what he did during the attack, and Osipov was unhappy that Yakymenko felt well within a few days and returned to training.

Скриншот з відео НАБУ

Скриншот з відео НАБУ

In addition to this episode, Osipov kept a recording of unknown people beating completely bound people with hammers. Footage from this video was also shown by the police in April 2026 during a press conference dedicated to the liquidation of U420 stores and the activities of Khimprom. Also, the SAPO prosecutor, when choosing a preventive measure, Rybalka cited correspondence from 2025, in which Osipov demands that the damage be significant. And Pasha reports that after the beating, the person has “rag legs”. As soon as the victims in such episodes turned to the police, the customers already knew who was investigating the case and assured the victims that the situation was under control.

Law enforcement officers even provided Osipov with information about investigations against him abroad. On April 9, 2025, Osipov sent “Pasha” a photo, apparently obtained from one of the participants in a meeting of European law enforcement agencies discussing Osipov himself.

The role in the case of SBU General Serhiy Duka, nicknamed "Akim"

Osipov had two mobile phones, one of which he used exclusively for communication with Security Service employees. Duka knew about Osipov’s criminal activities and, instead of documenting them and initiating an investigation, helped Osipov resolve issues not only in the SBU but also in the Prosecutor General’s Office. The investigation notes that from May to July 2026, Duka discussed with the former First Deputy Prosecutor General Marina Vdovichenko and senior officials of the National Police the cancellation of the arrest of four crypto wallets containing Osipov’s 2.4 million USDT, arrested as part of the U420 store proceedings. According to the investigation, on July 30, Duka informed Osipov that he could arrange for the arrest of the funds to be canceled. On the day of Osipov’s detention, he wrote him a message: “I talked it over, I understand how to proceed, everything is fine, we are moving towards lifting the arrest.” Osipov replied that he would contact a lawyer and prepare a corresponding petition to the court. Since Osipov was detained that same day, the plan could not be implemented.

Osipov also asked Duka to check the information on whether "Vanya" — apparently, the then head of the National Police, Ivan Vyhivskyi, and "Klym" — apparently, the then head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ihor Klymenko, would be fired.

Скриншот з відео НАБУ

Скриншот з відео НАБУ

Osipov sent Duka a screenshot with information that could expose him. According to Osipov, this information was in the possession of the Strategic Investigations Department of the National Police. So Osipov asked Duka to introduce him to the then head of the department, Andriy Rubel. The investigation claims that Duka agreed. It is unknown whether Rubel agreed to the meeting, as it is unknown whether he began to cooperate. After these events, Rubel was fired. A high-ranking interlocutor of Babel in law enforcement agencies says that the dismissal is not related to call centers. Currently, Rubel is being investigated as a witness in the case, and the media reported that he was also searched.

The investigation also claims that in May 2026, Osipov wrote to Duka about one of the heads of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the region, to which Duka replied that he had instructed this head to stop actions that could pose a threat to Osipov. It is not yet known who this person was.

The investigation also notes that Duka, due to his position, knew about the decisions of law enforcement officers and warned Osipov about them in advance. After the state leadership announced the intensification of the fight against the activities of call centers, Osipov asked Duka about the situation. And he advised him to go underground: “We need to change addresses, go to apartments, become partisans,” Duka replied.

According to the investigation, Duka repeatedly provided Osipov with his own driver so that he could enter the SBU building without hindrance. During the hearing, the prosecutor read out correspondence in which Osipov asked the "cash grabber" to give him cash, and then entered the SBU building.

Duka also arranged a pass for Osipovʼs car so that he could travel around Kyiv during the curfew.

Duka also informed Osipov about the appointment of SBU employees to administrative positions. He also reported to Osipov about his communication with the then Minister of Internal Affairs Klymenko and senior officials of the National Police.

The court session paid special attention to the search of Dukaʼs house, as he did not let detectives into his rented house for a long time. According to NABU detectives, Duka was protected by the Alpha unit, whose employees threatened him with weapons. The detectives claim that they heard him loading a weapon. Duka denies this. In addition, the detectives claim that Duka destroyed his phones and hard drive with an axe before letting the detectives search it.

The NABU and SAPO also note that the members of the criminal organization were involved in attempts to deprive the anti-corruption agencies of their independence in the summer of 2025. The investigation cites correspondence in which one of the SBU officers wrote [apparently to Osipov] that he would go to the NABU to give evidence because he learned that the SBU had falsified evidence against Ruslan Magamedrasulov and “through Facebook [as they call the FSB] they were hacking the phone in the Maga Uzbekistan-Dagestan case. Dagestan ”. In response, Burkin gives the order to prevent such testimony from being given and promises to shut up the SBU officer. Osipov forwarded this message from Burkin to Duka. “The phone was hacked” means that it was necessary to find a person in Russia who would buy a phone with a Russian number, go to Dagestan and call Magamedrasulov from there. Then, the dates of the calls had to be technically changed in the phone, by that time Magamedrasulov was already in pre-trial detention. Further, according to the plan, as part of the SBU investigation, this person was supposed to hand over this phone to the Service and provide the necessary testimony. This was supposed to become part of the case against Ruslan Maghamedrasulov.

Defending suspectsʼ position

The first preventive measure was chosen for the deputy head of the strategic investigations department of the National Police, Volodymyr Tsenov. The prosecutor requested detention with the alternative of bail in the amount of 20 million hryvnias. He argued the risks by saying that Tsenov refused to give passwords to his phones during the search. Tsenov explained that he did not remember the passwords, so he unlocked the phones using FaceID, he wanted to change the settings so that the phones were unlocked, but they were not given to him.

On the merits of the charges, Tsenovʼs defense denied that the prosecutor had proven the existence of a criminal organization, and also focused on the fact that the episodes in which Tsenov was involved were classified as non-violent crimes, and therefore requested house arrest or a reduction in bail to 998,400 hryvnias. The judge granted the prosecutorʼs request, but reduced the bail to 15 million. This amount was paid for Tsenov the very next day.

Vitaliy Rybalkoʼs defense also noted that the prosecutors had not proven the existence of a criminal organization, and also drew attention to the fact that the investigation did not cite either the results of a forensic medical examination or the interrogation of the victim, which would point to Rybalko. "Maybe they are dreamers. Can suspicion be based on correspondence?" — the lawyer was indignant. Rybalko himself called everything "complete nonsense" and added that if "there is an artificial delay," he would go to war. He denied all correspondence, but admitted that he knew Osipov, because they are from the same city. The judge sent Rybalko to a pre-trial detention center for two months without the right to post bail.

The session on choosing a preventive measure for Duca was held partly in closed and partly in open modes. Therefore, we do not know some of the arguments of the defense. It is known that in the closed session the defense was supposed to talk about the specifics of Ducaʼs work, because in the open part they hinted that he could communicate with Osipov precisely because of the specifics of the serviceʼs work. In addition, in the closed part they studied the video of the beginning of the search at Duca. The general himself told reporters during the break between sessions that this case was revenge by NABU Director Maksym Kryvonos, because, according to him, his unit was investigating the criminal case against Kryvonos.

The defense emphasized that Duce was not charged with any corruption offense and denied the generalʼs involvement in a criminal group. "Everything that Duce is accused of could theoretically be considered under the article on abuse of influence, but not under Article 255... If a person applied for a decision and the arrest to be lifted, thatʼs also a different crime," the generalʼs lawyer noted. For the defense, qualifications matter, because participation in a criminal organization entails severe punishment.

Separately, Dukaʼs lawyers emphasize that he did not consent and was not aware that he was part of such an organization. "Duka does not know and has never communicated with either "Artem Lorenzo" or Burkin... Where is the evidence that he agreed to participate in a criminal organization? There is no such evidence," the lawyer noted.

The prosecutor brought a package with destroyed phones to the court.

«Babel'»

Dukaʼs defense ironically says that maybe these phones don't belong to Duka.

«Babel'»

In addition, the lawyer emphasizes that a criminal organization is created to commit crimes, but the Duce is only charged with participation in a criminal organization, not the crimes themselves. The prosecutor does not see a problem with this.

The lawyers made several procedural remarks that could later lead to the removal of Duceʼs suspicion. Some of these errors may be corrected by the investigation during the investigation.

The prosecutor requested that Duka be placed in custody with an alternative bail of 100 million hryvnias, but the court only partially satisfied this request and reduced the bail to 65 million. Duka stated that he did not have that kind of money. Sources close to the SBU of “Babel” say that SBU officers were instructed to transfer funds for Duka’s bail. At the same time, Duka’s entourage tells “Babel” that this is a people’s initiative.

On Friday, the Supreme Court of Ukraine also chose a preventive measure for Oleksandr Demyanchuk. However, the Supreme Court did not announce the time of the hearing, and the court did not grant Babelʼs request to broadcast it. What happened in court is unknown. In the end, Demyanchuk was sent to pre-trial detention for two months without the right to post bail.