NABU-sought Pavlo Barbul develops business community in Poland

Suspect's business activity in Poland

Pavlo Barbul, former head of the state enterprise "Spetshtekhnokhsporth", continues to conduct active business activities abroad, despite being on trial at the High Anti-Corruption Court (VAKS) for corruption offences and being sought by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) in a new criminal case. In particular, he became a co-founder of the company U-Lead business community spzoo, based in Warsaw. His co-owner is Anna Fedorenko.

It is worth noting that on the project's official website, Barbul does not appear as an owner. Anna Fedorenko is described as a representative of high society who does not have her own business and serves as the public face of Barbul's initiative.

Official rhetoric and actual scale

According to official data, U-Lead positions itself as the largest international community of Ukrainian entrepreneurs and investors. The project's main goal is stated to be helping businessmen who were forced to leave Ukraine due to the war to adapt to new conditions, relocate their businesses, and find new opportunities in the global market.

The community's creators claim that they have managed to unite over 2,000 entrepreneurs from various countries and hold more than 100 events in seven countries: Poland, the UAE, Spain, Italy, Austria, the United Kingdom, and France.

However, the actual situation differs from the declared one. In reality, it involves a series of advertising projects and a few meetings of a narrow circle of people, after which the activity was discontinued.

Links to a British company and relatives' roles

In addition to the Polish project, Pavlo Barbul was a founder of the British company PATRIOT INVESTMENTS LLP until the end of 2023. The other co-founder was his mother — Karina Robertivna Atanasyan. It was in her name that Barbul registered his illegal corrupt business while holding a position in a state authority.

Atanasyan's exit from business structures

Recently, Karina Atanasyan has begun to leave the ranks of founders of her son's businesses. Thus, on 25 March 2025, she transferred the rights to the limited liability company "Resta+" (which is engaged in the restaurant business) to Oleksandr Volodymyrovych Chumak.

Atanasyan also left the ranks of founders of the joint-stock company "ZNVKIF Absolute". Her place was taken by Serhiy Oleksandrovych Kyrylenko.