Ministry of Justice engages international firm for arbitration against ex-Crimea MP Novinsky

The Ministry of Justice has ordered legal services from an international firm to defend Ukraine in cases against companies associated with former Crimean MP Vadym Novynskyi. The lawsuits relate to alleged violations of investment agreements and cover the actions of state authorities against the former MP's companies and his trusts.

This was reported by Nashi Hroshi.

The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine ordered legal services from the international firm Clifford Chance for $3,800 (over 159 thousand hryvnias). The lawyers were supposed to represent the state in international arbitrations on the claims of three companies: British Enwell Energy, Dutch Smart Energy, and Ukrainian Ukrgazvydobuvannya. The procurement was made without a tender, which is permitted by law for services related to the protection of public interests.

The cases are related to Ukraine's alleged violation of investment agreements. These include the law on subsoil use, the National Security and Defense Council's decision to impose sanctions on former Crimean MP Vadym Novynskyi and his trustees, and the actions of the Ministry of Justice and the State Service of Geology and Mineral Resources regarding state registration of changes in company ownership.

The plaintiffs have engaged the same law firm and even propose to consolidate the cases, as they are virtually identical. After comparing prices, the Ministry chose the cheapest option - Clifford Chance. As noted in the publication, the hourly rates are as follows: a partner will cost USD 1,200, an advisor will cost USD 800, and a paralegal will cost USD 200.

Former MP from Crimea, Vadym Novynskyi, was notified of suspicion of treason in 2025. Earlier, the State Service of Geology and Mineral Resources suspended Enwell Energy's licenses for two fields in Kharkiv and Poltava regions, and the court arrested the corporate rights of 72 companies associated with Novynskyi. The companies tried to transfer the assets to a trust, but the Ministry of Justice canceled these actions to change the ultimate owners.

In December 2025, a court in Kyiv arrested UAH 196.9 million on the account of a private enforcement officer in a case related to a sanctioned former MP. According to the investigation, the money may have been used to legalize a complex debt transfer scheme.

In October 2024, PrivatBank blocked a transaction in which Smart Investments Cyprus Ltd, the ultimate beneficiary of which is a sanctioned former MP, tried to transfer UAH 196.9 million to a private enforcement officer's account. The money remained on the bank's intra-bank account, and all business relations with the private enforcement officer were terminated.

On September 15, the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv imposed custody on Novynskyi, a former MP of several convocations from the banned pro-Russian Opposition Bloc party, who also served as a "curator" of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. According to the investigation, since 2014, he has been actively spreading pro-Russian narratives through the media, public speeches, and social media, trying to create anti-government sentiment in Ukraine and justifying Russian aggression.

Анна Бальчінос