“Rivne-Building Materials” at the plant “Forge on Rybalsky” in Kyiv transships sand
The territory of the capital’s enterprise “Forge on Rybalsky” was used for transshipment of sand: businessmen from the orbit of the ex-minister of the Yanukovych era, Nikolai Zlochevsky, are operating on the site, writes StopKor
NABU “digs” under them, and they dig sand. Against the backdrop of the war, Rivne-Stroymaterialy LLC, owned by businessmen from the orbit of the former Minister of Ecology Mykola Zlochevsky, deployed a fossil transshipment point in Kyiv. And not somewhere, but on the territory of the Forge on Rybalsky plant. On what grounds are the defendants of the Yanukovych-era crime operating in a strategic area? And what does ex-president Poroshenko have to do with it?
In the capital region, under the “silence” of the war, sand diggers continue to operate. Public activists and journalists have recorded several transshipment points in Kyiv, where sand is unloaded from barges on an industrial scale. One of these points was found at st. Elektrikov, 26. The mooring wall and the weighing complex are located on the territory of the Forge on Rybalsky plant. Who and on what grounds stores minerals on the site of a strategic enterprise?
On the territory of the plant ”Forge on Rybalsky” there are hydraulic structures
The workers present at the scene told reporters that Rivno-Stroymaterialy LLC operates at this location. According to the guards, Mikhail Temnik and Yuriy Sorokin allegedly manage the business processes, but the beneficiaries have not been seen at the site for a long time – they say that they owe the workers wages and are hiding from NABU.
Note that, despite the word “Rivne” in the name, the company is legally registered in Kyiv – on Peremohy Avenue. However, there is actually no office at the indicated address: the building is being renovated. Attempts to contact the management of the enterprise also proved unsuccessful: director Dmitry Bragin rudely “rejected” a journalistand the official requests of the StopCor editors for information remained unanswered.
”StopKora” request to ”Rivne-Building Materials” LLC remained unanswered
So, what is the mysterious Rivne-Building Materials LLC and who is behind it?
The company, one of the activities of which is the extraction of salt, was registered in Kyiv in 2014 under the name Kupol-Sol LLC, and its historical founder was the Cypriot limited liability company Filtreno Investments Ltd. But already in 2019, Yuri Sorokin became the beneficiary of the enterprise. In 2020, the main activity was changed to “Sand, gravel, clay and kaolin mining”. And in 2022, instead of Sorokin, Mikhail Temnik became a co-founder.
Mikhail Temnik, co-founder of ”Rivne-Building Materials” LLC
According to the information and analytical platform YouControl, the company conducts a wide range of activities – 11, which may be a sign of cover for unscrupulous activity. In addition, part of the authorized capital was sold to the well-known capital construction company Kovalskaya.
Founders of LLC ”Rivne-Building Materials”
The firm has two valid licenses issued by the State Geological Agency: for the geological exploration of the Yushkovskoye area (valid until October 2023) and the commercial development of the Protsevskoye field (until June 2041). In both cases, the mineral is sand.
LLC “Rivne-Building Materials” is not a defendant in any criminal case, however, it is being held as a defendant in the economic process (case number – 910/14958/22): the company owed more than 170 thousand UAH to the enterprise PJSC “First expeditionary detachment of underwater and hydraulic works” due to improper performance of obligations under the Service Agreement.
In addition, Sorokin and Temnik together are co-founders of the capital LLC “River Transport” (LLC “Rechtrans”) with an authorized capital of 100 UAH. Yuri Sorokin also fully owns another similar structure – Kyiv Sands LLC. And Mikhail Temnik is related to two interesting organizations: JLLC “Razdolnoe”, which is registered in the temporarily occupied territory of the Luhansk region, and the BO “Charity Foundation” Sources “named after. Temnik Yuri Alexandrovich, co-founded by Igor Ogirya from Lugansk.
The director of LLC “Rivne-Stroymaterialy” Dmitry Bragin was one of the founders of another sand company – LLC “Alas Ukraine”, whose activities were terminated. At one time, he was also engaged in exploration drilling in the Crimea.
In turn, Mikhail Temnik has joint business interests with the Zlochevsky family. In particular, with the ex-Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources of Ukraine (2010) Mykola Zlochevsky.
Mikhail Temnik is associated with a joint business with Nikolai Zlochevsky
What is Nikolai Zlochevsky known for?
Mykola Zlochevsky is an ex-regional, owner of the largest private gas company in Ukraine Burisma, founder of the International Energy Security Forum.
Since November 2019, the former minister has been wanted as part of an investigation into the activities of the Burisma company, although in the case itself, according to the then Prosecutor General Ryaboshapka, Zlochevsky’s name allegedly did not appear.
On June 12, 2020, it became known about an attempt to bribe SAP and NABU with a record-breaking bribe for Ukraine of $6 million (UAH 165 million): a “reward” was offered for closing a case involving Zlochevsky. According to the materials of the investigation, it was he who contributed to the acquisition of funds from the NBU stabilization loan issued to Real Bank. This bank was owned by the oligarch Sergey Kurchenko. Zlochevsky himself denied all the accusations.
Ex-Minister Mykola Zlochevsky
On October 1, 2020, the infamous Kyiv Pechersk Court ordered the prosecutor to close the case against Zlochevsky, which was opened on November 17, 2014. SAPO appealed this decision and forwarded it to the Appellate Chamber of the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court, noting that this decision of the court was not received by either the Office of the Prosecutor General or SAPO.
In February 2022, the name of Zlochevsky was mentioned in the media in connection with a long-standing criminal case that is being investigated by NABU and SAPO. We are talking about large-scale abuses in the procurement of services for remote sensing of the earth: within the framework of this case, the former deputy of Zlochevsky, Dmitry Mormul, as well as two foreigners, were reported on suspicion. According to insiders, NABU is also investigating the involvement of Sorokin and Temnik in this particular case.
Whose area of interest does Kuznitsa na Rybalskopm LLC, on whose territory sand is piled, belong?
The Kuznitsa on Rybalsky plant (the former Leninskaya Kuznitsa) is a private joint-stock company: according to YouControl, a large stake (more than 5%) belongs to the Cypriot EWINS LIMITED, and Igor Mazepa is listed as the ultimate beneficial owner.
The plant, which at one time was part of the Ukrprominvest group of companies, is one of the oldest enterprises in Kyiv, which was first engaged in steel production, and later in shipbuilding. Until 2018, it belonged to the then President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and MP Igor Kononenko, and in 2013-2015, it probably resorted to a dubious tax optimization scheme, as was mentioned in a journalistic investigation project “Our money with Denis Bigus”.
In 2018, the shares of Poroshenko and Kononenko were bought out by another “figure” of the Yanukovych era, Sergei Tigipko.
At the end of December 2022, the court opened a bankruptcy case for PJSC Kuznitsa on Rybalsky.
The case was initiated at the suit of the Cypriot company Proctoremo Investments Limited. According to the Cypriot company, the company has a debt arising from the purchase from the applicant of 70% of Land Development LTD Plus, the beneficiary of which is Tigipko.
Over the past three years alone, the plant has been involved in 14 criminal proceedings for crimes in the field of economic activity, the provision of public services and the protection of state secrets, the inviolability of state borders, and ensuring conscription and mobilization. In particular, in April 2021, the State Bureau of Investigation conducted searches at the plant: according to the investigation, in 2016-2018, the Ministry of Defense purchased boats produced by Kuznitsa on Rybalsky of inadequate quality, as a result of which the state suffered half a billion hryvnia in damage.
How did the company, which is in the process of bankruptcy, and even during the war, ended up with hydraulic structures for transshipment of sand? Did PJSC “Kuznica on Rybalsky” lease or sublease land plots to LLC “Rivno-Stroymaterialy”? And what common interests can unite the beneficiaries of the plant with the diggers of the Yanukovych era? To clarify these issues, the editors of StopKora sent a request to the enterprise.
Request ”StopKora” to PJSC ”Forge on Rybalsky”
We are currently awaiting an official response and continue to monitor developments on Rybalsky Island in the capital. New details and details are in our next materials.
