31.03.2025
Business of Occupiers
Investigations
He paid off, betrayed, got rich: how Oleksandr Katsuba avoided punishment for Boyko’s “towers” and is prospering in Ukraine’s gas business
The family of beneficiaries of Shariy’s propagandist, the Katsubas, continue to operate with special permits for subsoil extraction in Ukraine. They control gas, oil, quartz, and a number of precious metals. Despite its Russian ties and proximity to influential oligarchic circles in Russia, the state, represented by the State Service of Geology and Mineral Resources and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, gave the richest deposits to the Katsubas. This has jeopardized not only the production potential but also the national security of the whole of Ukraine.
“Boyko’s Rigs”: A Starting Point
The Boyko’s Rigs scandal broke in 2011 when the state-owned company Chornomornaftogaz purchased two drilling rigs for $400 million, twice the market value. The deeds were signed by representatives of the Katsuba family, including Volodymyr Katsuba, who was then deputy chairman of Naftogaz of Ukraine. The scheme was simple: the money was transferred through shell companies, and the real price of the towers was much lower. According to experts, the state suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in losses.
Oleksandr Katsuba, who at the time worked in structures affiliated with Naftogaz, also came under investigation. However, despite the high-profile accusations, he not only avoided prison but also retained his influence in the gas sector.
Even during the full-scale invasion, Katsuba was even recorded during a personal meeting in a restaurant with former Prosecutor General Kostin, who helped to “forget” the cases and guaranteed the inviolability of Kurchenko’s business, whose image was created by the family. By the way, the Katsubs continue to manage oil production through NAFTOGAZTRADE-AGRO, COMPANY TRADE OIL LLC, GAZ-ALLIANCE LLC, and JSC UKRGAZVYDOBUVANNIA on behalf of Kurchenko. In this regard, we have sent an information request to a number of authorities to obtain information about state contracts and funds allocated from the budget in favor of Katsub companies. We are waiting for a response.
Fictitious divorces as a way to save the Katsubs’ business
The Katsub family has an interesting tradition: officially divorcing but continuing to live and do business together. Oleksandr’s mother, Natalia Katsuba, divorced Volodymyr Katsuba, but this did not stop them from doing business together. Oleksandr played out a similar scenario. In 2016, he officially divorced Tetiana Guzenko, the daughter of Oleksandr Guzenko, an influential businessman from the Dnipro region. However, the couple still spends time together, and Tatiana has taken over Katsuba’s business.
A key link in the re-registration of companies to Guzenko was the offshore company GIL Gold Investment LTD, registered in the Seychelles. Its beneficiary in 2015 was Oleksandr Guzenko, and since 2017 – Estonian citizen Oleh Yaholnyk, who until 2020 was listed as a co-owner of Nadra-Geoinvest LLC together with Tetiana Guzenko.
In 2020, she and her father acquired Nadra-Geoinvest, a company engaged in production at the Skorobahatkivske field in Poltava region. In 2021, Tetiana acquired Plast PJSC (renamed Stratum Ukraine), which received a permit for exploration of the West and East Yevsug gas fields.
In January 2022, a month before the outbreak of full-scale war, Stratum Ukraine received a permit to produce oil and gas in Luhansk region without an auction. It is noteworthy that in the same year, the company became a defendant in a criminal case on suspicion of acting to the detriment of Ukraine’s sovereignty and cooperating with the aggressor country.
By the way, Stratum Ukraine LLC used to belong to fugitive former MP Oleksandr Onyshchenko.
Thus, a number of deposits and subsoil containing them, including satellite gas and oil, ended up in Katsuba’s hands.
Novoselovsky GOK and the sale of quartz to Russia
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Volodymyr Katsuba continues to control Novoselovsky Mining and Processing Plant, a strategic wartime enterprise in Kharkiv region.
The raw materials extracted and enriched at the company’s facilities are used to produce optical, wave, art and medical glass, assorted tableware, showcase, lighting and signal glass, and glass products with a wide range of applications in machine and instrumentation engineering, etc.
Therefore, we have an obvious conclusion – the raw materials and goods produced by Novoselovsky GOK have the potential to be used in the defense industry.
It is worth noting that Novoselovsky GOK’s profits suddenly began to grow in 2022, despite the fact that the demand for quartz sand in Ukraine is still low.
There is also evidence that raw materials from Katsub are supplied to Russia through controlled legal entities, which also explains the growth of Novoselovsky GOK’s revenues. The above information is still being investigated, in particular by the State Bureau of Investigation in Poltava within the framework of criminal proceedings No. 62024170020003938 under Part 1 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
Schemes of appropriation of land plots by the Katsub family
Using “good old-fashioned” connections with the regional authorities of Kharkiv region, in particular Kharkiv Regional State Administration, Dergachiv District State Administration and the State Geocadastre in Kharkiv region, the Katsub family-controlled agricultural enterprise Victoria VT LLC received a number of valuable agricultural lands for free for further lease. At the same time, without any benefit to the local budget.
Reconstruction of Kyiv and Kharkiv regions: the shadow of the Katsuba family
While Oleksandr Katsuba publicly denies government contracts, his family is actively earning money from the reconstruction of war-torn regions. According to DOZORRO Transparency International Ukraine, I.B.K. Development LLC became one of the leaders in procurement for the restoration of Irpin in 2022-2023. The same structure is involved in the reconstruction of Kharkiv region. Although there is no direct evidence of Oleksandr’s involvement in this company, ties to the Katsuba family can be traced through a number of intermediaries and close companies.
Where is Katsuba now?
Today, Oleksandr Katsuba actively promotes himself as an energy expert, giving interviews and comments in the media. He is the head of Alfa-Gas LLC and assures that his business is only a private initiative. Katsuba is actively whitewashing his reputation and seems to be preparing for something bigger. So, we are waiting for further developments.
In the meantime, we are re-sending the previously collected materials confirming the use of Ukrainian subsoil by Katsuba for his own enrichment, including through cooperation with the enemy.
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