In early August, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) fined «Ukrainskyi Kapital» Bank—a financial institution linked to the Astion brothers—UAH 42.5 million for gross violations of anti-money laundering and financial monitoring regulations. A UAH 2 million portion of the sanction was specifically levied for ignoring document verification standards during foreign currency transactions. The total fine almost doubles the bank’s annual profit, which stands at approximately UAH 23 million.
According to investigative reports, the bank was allegedly involved in an illicit capital flight scheme operated through a structure known as «Black Audit.» Clients routinely handed over physical cash, which was subsequently transferred abroad under the guise of paying for fake import contracts—supposedly for apparel, footwear, and construction materials. No actual goods were ever delivered to Ukraine.
One of the scheme’s primary conduits was LLC «Raduga Toys» (later renamed «Planeta Rechey» and «Kingstaropt»), which recorded fake import deals worth at least UAH 800 million. The company relied on straw owners and frequent ownership changes:
The initial founder was a 21-year-old resident of the Zhytomyr region listed as the owner of 17 different companies.
Ownership was later transferred to a Kyiv dormitory resident, who is married to a former criminal investigation officer.
In May 2026, the entity was passed to an Uzbek national listed as the registered owner of over 70 Ukrainian businesses.
A similar pattern was used across dozens of associated shell companies, including «Triokompani» and «Megapobut.» These entities were registered at mass registration addresses—such as a single office room in Dnipro hosting over 20 companies—and maintained placeholder websites lacking product catalogs, pricing, or management contact information.
Investigative journalists link the operations of «Black Audit» to former tax and customs officials Vasyl Sandul and Yevhen Kulibaba.
Prior to the NBU’s regulatory sanctions, several non-governmental organizations formally requested the Bureau of Economic Security (BEB), the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) to investigate «Black Audit» and its network. To date, no official criminal proceedings against the organizers have been announced.