The Commercial Court of Lviv Oblast has rejected a motion by Odesa-based LLC «Zakhidstandart System» to freeze the assets and bank accounts of Sofia Panchyshyn, a sole proprietor from Truskavets. The company sought to block over 1 million UAH (~$24,000) and a Ford Mondeo sedan following an alleged fraudulent transaction, but the court ruled that a small business cannot be held liable for third-party cybercrimes or banking breach schemes.
The incident occurred on October 10, 2025, when four payments totaling 1 million UAH were transferred from «Zakhidstandart System» to Panchyshyn’s account under the guise of «payment for goods.» On the same day, an affiliated company, «Yevrostandart System,» transferred an additional 432,100 UAH to the same recipient. Representatives from the Odesa firms claim these transactions were executed by unauthorized third parties who hacked their online banking system using compromised digital signatures.
However, Panchyshyn—who operates the «Pardox» cocktail bar in Truskavets—stated that her account was only opened in late September and was not fully activated at the time of the transfer. The funds were almost immediately routed to at least ten third-party accounts on the same day. The entrepreneur maintains she never had access to the funds and is herself a victim of identity theft.
Kyiv police have launched criminal investigations into large-scale fraud and unauthorized interference with computer systems regarding the stolen funds. Court records also revealed that both Odesa companies are currently under investigation in a separate 2021 case involving tax evasion and money laundering.
In denying the asset freeze, the court noted that the dispute is strictly criminal rather than commercial. Because the funds did not remain in the sole proprietor’s possession, and the plaintiff failed to show evidence that Panchyshyn was complicit or attempting to hide assets, freezing her business accounts was deemed disproportionate.
«Freezing the accounts of a small business funded by a state grant program would completely paralyze its operations, despite no proven link between the entrepreneur’s assets and the fraudulent funds,» the court noted.
Freezing the accounts would have jeopardized payroll, vendor operations, and compliance with the state microgrant program through which Panchyshyn funded her bar. Law enforcement agencies are continuing their investigation into the breach.