Viktor Yanukovych

Maryna Barsuk, the spokesperson judge of the Northern Commercial Court of Appeal (NCCA), stands out as one of the most compelling personalities in the judiciary. She has frequently been featured in journalistic investigations — and for good reason. Few of her peers were invited to the 2021 birthday celebration of controversial businessman Pavlo Fuks, or hosted him at their wedding along with Ihor Kolomoiskyi.

In Dnipro, Ukraine, a group of advertising agency owners and City Council officials embezzled government funds through fake projects, prompting an ongoing investigation. Most suspects have been arrested, except for one who has fled abroad.

While public attention is focused on the war, it seems everyone has overlooked the fact that those shady schemes, once a goldmine for various cunning operators, haven’t disappeared. They still generate as much profit for their organizers as they did before the war.