The State Bureau of Investigation Uncovered a Scheme Involving Fictitious Livestock Numbers in the Odesa Region

In the Odesa region, the State Bureau of Investigations is looking into the possible illegal receipt of government subsidies for animals that likely did not actually exist. 

The Center for Public Investigations has uncovered details of the case.

As noted in the court ruling, the scheme may have operated through the animal identification and registration system. Law enforcement officials believe that Lyudmyla Belunina, the head of the Tarutyne District State Veterinary Hospital, prepared documents for allegedly existing animals from February to July 2025 and entered false data into the Unified State Register of Animals.

According to the case file, she was assisted by Volodymyr Hrek, the founder of the “Agro-Hrek” farm, who recruited people.

Investigators say they were able to register more than 700 sheep and goats through state registries and receive 1.44 million hryvnias.

According to the investigation, 130 head were registered under one person’s name, and 260,000 hryvnias in subsidies were processed through the State Agrarian Registry. Another recipient was credited with 240 head—for which 480,000 hryvnias were paid out. In two other cases, the numbers were 200 and 150 animals, for which 400,000 and 300,000 hryvnias, respectively, were transferred from the budget.

The state program provided for a payment of 2,000 hryvnias for each identified and registered sheep or goat—ranging from 5 to 500 head. Investigators suspect that individuals’ electronic signatures were used to create a false basis for registering fictitious livestock.

The State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) is currently collecting documents related to applications and payments in the Odesa region.

Also in August, the State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) completed a pre-trial investigation into the head of the “Kodymske Forestry” branch of the state-owned enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” and the former head of the “Balt Forestry Enterprise,” who are accused of organizing a system of monthly extortion from their subordinates.

Анна Бальчінос