Hetmanets claims all deposits have already been sold

Danil Hetmanets, head of the Verkhovna Rada’s tax committee, stated that licences for Ukrainian deposits were distributed opaquely, and in some cases were transferred to current owners free of charge.

According to him, the system for distributing natural resources must be reviewed to attract American investors. Specifically, this involves reviewing licences held by private companies, including structures associated with former Environment Minister Mykola Zlochevsky, the former head of Burisma.

Hetmanets reported that he is preparing a relevant appeal to the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine (NSDC). He emphasised that over the past decades, most promising deposits have ended up in the hands of a limited circle of influential figures, which significantly complicates the attraction of international partners.

This news has once again drawn attention to the activities of Burisma. It is worth recalling that Hunter Biden, the son of the current US president, served on the company’s board of directors from 2014.

The Security Service of Ukraine has been conducting an investigation since 2023 into how Burisma obtained special permits to develop deposits between 2004 and 2012, while Zlochevsky held high-ranking state positions. However, no information on the results of the investigation has been released yet.