The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) approved a plea agreement with seven members of a criminal organization that operated in Odesa and was involved in the unlawful takeover of the property complex of the communal enterprise “International Airport Odesa” valued at over 118 million hryvnias.
This was reported by the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).
“On June 12, 2025, the HACC verdict approved the plea agreement recognizing the guilt of seven individuals—members of a criminal group that established control over the activities of the Odesa City Council and obtained profits from businesses operating in Odessa,” the press service stated.
According to SAPO, some of those involved were former leaders of the Odesa City Council who regularly received illicit benefits and ensured the adoption of necessary decisions.
The accused were charged with seizing in 2011 the property complex of a strategic facility—the municipal enterprise “International Airport Odesa”—valued at over 118 million hryvnias. This case was among those reactivated after the appointment of new SAPO leadership.
Under the agreement, the defendants must fully compensate the damage caused to the Odesa City Council, including paying 150 million hryvnias to the city council’s account and returning 2,488 units of property to the Odessa territorial community.
The Odesa City Council will remain the owner of the international airport, and its share in the relevant charter capital will not decrease—one of the main conditions set by the victim for the deal, prosecutors said.
The court sentenced the accused to final punishments of 7 to 8 years imprisonment and fines totaling over 400 million hryvnias.
“Considering their cooperation and incriminating testimony, the convicted individuals were released from punishment with a probation period. For some offenses, individuals were released from serving sentences due to statute of limitations,” SAPO explained.
Law enforcement emphasized that the maximum fine allowed by law—204 million hryvnias—was applied here for the first time.
One defendant received an additional fine of 102 million hryvnias, and two others were fined over 30 million hryvnias each.
The court also confiscated over 6 million hryvnias, more than $582,000, and 6,000 euros, as well as six high-value real estate objects (including a 700 sq.m. apartment in central Odessa) from the convicted.
Special confiscation was applied to $20,000.
Additionally, the convicted transferred 20 million hryvnias and are obliged to transfer another 106 million hryvnias to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Overall, under the approved agreement, the individuals committed to pay the state and the territorial community of Odessa funds and transfer property totaling over 1 billion hryvnias. This is the largest plea deal in Ukraine’s history.
SAPO considers this agreement a vivid example of the effective use of plea agreements by anti-corruption bodies in combating corruption crimes.
Thanks to improved legislation on plea agreements, after ending the criminal activities, the individuals were recognized guilty of multiple crimes and sentenced; damages will be compensated; the state and community will receive funds and property exceeding 1 billion hryvnias; and the state avoids lengthy trials involving many accused individuals, some of whose statute of limitations had expired or was about to expire, which posed a risk of them avoiding punishment.
SAPO also noted that this criminal scheme was one of the largest in Ukraine.
