The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has officially registered criminal proceedings regarding the illicit enrichment of Denys Korotenko, the head of the Shyroke United Territorial Hromada (community) in the Zaporizhzhia region. The official is suspected of purchasing luxury real estate during the war, totaling over 20 million UAH (equivalent to more than $500,000 at the time of purchase). The revelations came to light following a recent journalistic investigation.
According to the investigation, the official’s family members became owners of high-end real estate in 2024. Specifically, a new, fully furnished, and secured 180 m² house was purchased in the prestigious village of Soniachne, a suburb of Zaporizhzhia.
While the official contract price was stated as 2.57 million UAH, real estate agency analytics reveal that the property’s actual market value reaches 14.6 million UAH—indicating the documented price was understated nearly fivefold. The estate was registered to the official’s eldest son, Daniel Korotenko, who has lived abroad permanently for over four years. Denys Korotenko signed the agreement himself via power of attorney.
Additionally, the official’s family acquired an apartment in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district, located in the «Feofaniia CITY» residential complex. The market value of this property stands at 3.6 million UAH, and it was registered under the name of the official’s youngest son, Demian Korotenko.
The sudden spike in the community chief’s wealth coincides with an anomalous growth in the local budget. In 2023–2024, the development budget of the Shyroke Hromada skyrocketed to 1.026 billion UAH, compared to previous years when it did not exceed 19 million UAH.
This revenue surge occurred because nearly all military PIT (Personal Income Tax) in the Zaporizhzhia region was concentrated into the accounts of this specific community.
Sources state that over 800 million UAH of this amount was transferred to a narrow circle of contractors. The seven companies involved are:
LLC «Zaporizhhbudgroup»
LLC «BC Monolit-Service»
LLC «Promenergo-Innovatsiia»
LLC «In-Tras»
LLC «Dorgarant»
LLC «Andra Group»
LLC «BC Clever»
According to investigators, the alleged kickbacks for these contracts reached up to 30%, which were delivered in cash directly to Korotenko’s handler, the influential Zaporizhzhia businessman and politician Vemir Davitian. It was reportedly through Davitian’s influence that the military tax was funneled exclusively into the Shyroke Hromada accounts in 2023.
Denys Korotenko is currently in Kyiv. According to law enforcement sources, the hromada leader is trying to leverage political connections to resolve the situation regarding the active criminal case.
Reports suggest attempts are being made to utilize the connections of the Davitian family. Notably, the businessman’s sister, Diana Davitian, currently serves as an assistant to Ukraine’s Minister of Defense, Rustem Umerov. The NABU investigation into the embezzlement of public funds and the official’s illicit enrichment remains ongoing.