The National Police of Ukraine has officially placed Dmytro Lyppa, the former General Director of LLC «Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine» (GTSOU), and Yulia Chermazovych, the former Head of the Human Resources Department, on the wanted list. The former executives of the strategic state enterprise are suspected of large-scale financial fraud and misappropriation of company assets totaling over UAH 29.8 million.
According to law enforcement authorities, investigators are examining several episodes of illegal activities involving the former executive management of the strategic gas transmission operator. The core allegations focus on unlawful bonus payouts and the siphoning off of state funds through controlled entities.
Specifically, pre-trial investigation records highlight two primary schemes used to misappropriate state assets:
Illegal Executive Bonus Payout: Investigators report that former CEO Dmytro Lyppa was unlawfully awarded a bonus payment of UAH 14.8 million. The payout was allegedly processed in circumvention of established corporate procedures and without the required authorization from the Supervisory Board or corporate governance bodies.
Embezzlement via Trade Union Operations: The second key episode involves the transfer and subsequent misappropriation of UAH 15 million in state funds under the guise of financial support and operating funding for the company’s trade union organization.
Legal Qualification: The actions of the suspects have been formally qualified under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Misappropriation, embezzlement, or seizure of property through abuse of office, committed on an especially large scale or by an organized group). Penalties under this charge include imprisonment for 7 to 12 years, accompanied by a ban on holding specific positions and full asset confiscation.
Both Yulia Chermazovych and Dmytro Lyppa are currently hiding from pre-trial investigation authorities. Law enforcement sources report that Chermazovych managed to cross the state border and flee Ukraine shortly before the official notice of suspicion could be handed to her. Consequently, Ukrainian authorities are taking steps to issue an international Interpol wanted notice for both suspects.
Law enforcement officials emphasize that these initial notices of suspicion represent only the first phase of a broader investigation into the former leadership’s operations. According to preliminary data, additional former high-ranking executives of LLC «Gas TSO of Ukraine» who were involved in signing financial documentation and facilitating the fraudulent schemes are expected to face criminal charges in the near future.
LLC «Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine» (GTSOU) is a critical state-owned infrastructure enterprise responsible for natural gas transit and domestic transmission across Ukraine. Dmytro Lyppa assumed the role of General Director in March 2023, succeeding previous leadership, and was later dismissed following comprehensive financial audits into the company’s management practices.
Energy market analysts note that high-profile corruption cases involving top management of strategic state assets severely impact international partner trust and governance transparency during wartime. GTSOU is currently undergoing extensive internal audits and comprehensive reviews of all financial and commercial contracts signed during the tenure of the previous management team.