285 tenders and millions of hryvnias: who stands behind the Ministry of Youth and Sport contracts

One entrepreneur wins the majority of procurements

The Ministry of Youth and Sport of Ukraine has found itself at the centre of a scandal involving state tenders. As revealed by the detective agency Absolution, which investigates corruption in sports structures, 285 contracts for photo and video shooting at the ministry and its subordinate organisations were won by the same entrepreneur – Serhiy Cherskyi.

According to data from the Prozorro system, his business secured contracts worth over 13 million hryvnias. While most of them were small, amounting to a few dozen thousand, larger agreements began to appear during the tenure of Minister Mykhailo Bednyi.

Specifically, in July 2024, Cherskyi won a tender for 1.67 million hryvnias, and in January 2025 – another for 2.77 million hryvnias. Both contracts concerned a digital service intended to make the process of awarding sports titles in Ukraine more transparent.

Fictitious competition and personal connections

Journalists note that in the majority of tenders, Cherskyi had no competitors, despite the fact that shooting and online streaming services are not exclusive. Even in cases where competitors appeared, their participation looked suspicious.

For example, one of Cherskyi’s rivals in the auctions was Serhiy Krot – an entrepreneur who had previously worked at the company "STIB", owned by Cherskyi himself.

Another key figure in this story is Vitaliy Lavrov, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sport, who oversees digital projects. In the past, he and Cherskyi worked as sports officials in Donetsk, and their business relationship dates back more than 10 years.

Business ties with Yanukovych’s circle

Serhiy Cherskyi is linked not only to the current leadership of the Ministry of Youth and Sport, but also to influential representatives of the former Ukrainian elite.

To this day, he has joint business ventures with the family of the late Vasyl Dzharta – the former Prime Minister of Crimea and a close ally of Viktor Yanukovych. In particular, LLC "Modern Medical Systems", where Cherskyi and his wife Mariya Yegorova (Cherska) hold a 40% stake, has another 50% owned by the Vienna-based firm Wellmind Invest GmbH, registered to Natalia Dzharta.

Sports positions for travel abroad

In addition to contracts from the ministry, Serhiy Cherskyi found himself on the Ukraine national handball team in the role of trainer-operator. His wife received a similar status alongside him.

This formal title allowed the family to travel freely abroad, despite the martial law. Thus, Cherskyi and his wife were able to regularly visit their children, who are studying in Vienna.