The head of a Ukrzaliznytsia unit in Podilsk embezzled his salary

In Podilsk, an Ukrzaliznytsia official approved payments to an employee who had not shown up for work for years. As a result, the company paid out more than half a million hryvnias in salary and bonuses. 

As stated in the ruling of the Podilsk City and District Court, the head of the production unit of the power supply service at the Podilsk Power Supply Division of the regional branch “Odesa Railway” of JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia,” approved documents on the basis of which an employee who had not actually been coming to work was paid a salary. 

According to the case file, his subordinate—an electrical mechanic—did not actually show up for work or perform his job duties from January 1, 2021, to January 20, 2025. 

At the same time, according to the investigation, the supervisor was aware of the employee’s absence but continued to approve timesheets and payroll records. The documents indicated that the subordinate had allegedly worked those hours, which served as the basis for calculating his salary and other allowances.

The total amount of illegally paid benefits exceeded 504 hryvnias. According to the investigators’ findings, this is the amount of financial damage caused to JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia.” The official was charged with embezzlement through abuse of office under martial law, as well as with entering false information into official documents.

In August 2026, the prosecutor and the former official entered into a plea agreement. The man reimbursed Ukrzaliznytsia for the full amount of the damages caused. A representative of the company subsequently stated that there were no financial claims against him.

The final sentence was set at five years of imprisonment, with a three-year ban on holding leadership positions. At the same time, the judge exempted the defendant from serving his sentence and imposed a one-year probationary period.

In addition, the man voluntarily donated 150,000 hryvnias to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The court also ordered him to pay 67,242 hryvnias to cover the costs of expert examinations.

The former Ukrzaliznytsia official also requested $1,000 for assistance in connecting his home to the power grid. He received the money and now faces trial.

Анна Літман