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A journalistic investigation into defence procurement has focused on businessman Oleh Mitrokhin, who is referred to in the industry as the "grey cardinal" of contracts for the material support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to materials gathered over a long period by specialists, a number of questions have arisen around his business empire: from criminal proceedings for collusion in tenders to violations established by the Antimonopoly Committee and the presence of luxury car fleets and real estate.
One of the first cases in the investigation was the activity of LLC "AK-Investprom". The company received state contracts for personal protective equipment, but the fulfilment of obligations was accompanied by court hearings. According to an acceptance control act dated 12 August 2024, a batch of 4,950 combat ballistic helmets worth over 39 million hryvnias was not accepted because it failed the quality check. The state demanded nearly 29 million hryvnias in penalty sanctions, and the court partially upheld these claims.
Under another contract dated 11 June 2024, claims against the company amounted to over 52 million hryvnias. Thus, under the two contracts, the total amount of claims exceeded 81 million hryvnias. The problems concerned not only deadline violations but also the low quality of the products.
A similar situation arose with LLC "MILICON UA". In 2025, the firm received a contract worth 217 million hryvnias for the supply of body armour. Although the delivery was made on time, the products failed control: they were found to have "Chinese plate", susceptibility to penetration, and crooked seams. The Kyiv Commercial Court ordered the recovery of a fine of 97 million 430 thousand hryvnias from the company.
LLC "Lider-NTZ" also came under the spotlight. In January 2026, the Defence Procurement Agency (DPA) concluded a contract with this company for the supply of 40,000 ballistic helmets worth nearly 296 million hryvnias. Subsequently, the firm received two more contracts for modular body armour worth nearly 33 million and 150 million hryvnias respectively. The total value of obligations amounted to nearly half a billion hryvnias. Notably, the enterprise has existed under the name "Lider-NTZ" only since the end of 2025; previously, it had a different profile and other owners.
The execution of the first contract for helmets began with problems. As of 27 August, instead of 10,000 units, the company had delivered only one thousand. Technical inspections revealed systematic discrepancies in weight, dimensions, and internal lining. The batch was returned for rework several times, but the defects remained the same. On 27 August, the DPA unilaterally terminated the contract and decided to recover a fine of 20% of the value of the undelivered goods.
The situation with body armour proved more critical. By the end of September, not a single set had been delivered under either of the two contracts. The mass production of ballistic elements had not been launched due to a shortage of foreign raw materials. Both contracts were terminated, with fines of 6.56 million and nearly 30 million hryvnias accrued.
Following these events, the company was publicly linked to Oleh Mitrokhin. The authors of the "NON-STOP" movement called it a structure from his "orbit", mentioning a chain of firms: "MIK", "PAKOPTTORG", "EquipTorg", "Defence", "Credo-Bereg", and "SuperMIK". However, journalists note that no direct corporate link between Mitrokhin and "Lider-NTZ" has been found in open registries, so this remains a version that requires verification.
Among the companies directly linked to Mitrokhin, the most resonant is LLC "MIK". At the end of 2025, the Antimonopoly Committee established that in 2024, at the tenders of the State Enterprise "State Rear Operator" (SRO), "MIK" and LLC "PAKOPTTORG" had coordinated their behaviour to eliminate competition. This concerned the procurement of covers for body armour and winter jackets. For two violations, "MIK" was fined 30 million hryvnias, and "PAKOPTTORG" — 6.3 million hryvnias.
According to "Anticor Foundation", "PAKOPTTORG" participated in tenders 16 times but never won. The publication suggests that this firm may have been a technical participant to create the appearance of competition. In addition to administrative fines, "MIK" is involved in a criminal proceeding where the investigation is checking the version of collusion between company officials and SRO employees to ensure the victory of controlled firms and the supply of substandard goods at inflated prices.
A separate episode concerns the supply of 23,000 ballistic glasses for 32.4 million hryvnias. Investigators found similar products from a Chinese dealer on the Alibaba platform at a price of 214 to 300 hryvnias per unit, while "MIK"'s contract price was 1,409 hryvnias. A search was conducted at the company's office, and in January 2026, the court refused to cancel the seizure of the confiscated property. Also, according to the publication "Anticor", the Bureau of Economic Security is checking "MIK" in a case of possible embezzlement of property on an especially large scale and non-payment of taxes.
The company's history also contains a Russian trace: until 2018, "MIK" procured materials in Russia, which is confirmed by archival data. Currently, the firm's balance sheet includes 37 vehicles, including new BMW X5, Lexus, Cadillac Escalade, and Land Rover models. The latter two may cost $200,000 or more on the market. A sales manager at "MIK" responded to a call from journalists by saying she knew nothing and advised calling other numbers from the website. An official request to the company remains unanswered.
In 2022, Oleh Mitrokhin, together with his son Artem and Ministry of Defence general Yevhen Zamotayev, founded LLC "Ukrainian Scientific and Engineering Company 'Bulava'". Zamotayev ran for the Zaporizhzhia Regional Council in 2015 from the pro-Russian party "Nash Krai", which is linked to the sanctioned Oleh Murayev. "UNIK 'Bulava'" also came under investigation in a case of probable collusion with SRO officials, and searches were conducted at the company's office. Recently, the firm purchased a 2025 BMW 740d xDrive, which costs between $120,000 and $160,000 on the secondary market. A company representative, when asked about the criminal proceeding, advised sending an official request.
Zaporizhzhia-based "Yugstal", co-founded by Andriy Zayka, was involved in proceedings for evasion of tax payment on an especially large scale. According to the investigation, the scheme involved the fictitious purchase of VAT tax credits and the withdrawal of funds in cash. In September, the court released the defendants from criminal liability and closed the proceedings. A company representative, who responded in Russian, stated that the obligations had been fulfilled. "Yugstal"'s car fleet includes a 2024 Porsche Cayenne, which is used "for official duties", despite the fact that the company manufactures metal tanks.
Until 2026, Mitrokhin was the beneficiary of LLC "EnergoPul", which trades in fuel. Among the co-owners of the firm is still David Khodzhayan. A person with similar initials is likely the founder of OOO "MAYAK-2", registered in the occupied Yenakiyeve and paying taxes to the Russian Federation budget.
Despite fines and proceedings, Mitrokhin's companies remain active participants in public procurement. In just the last three years, "MIK" received contracts worth over 6.8 billion hryvnias, while "Yugstal" has concluded over a thousand contracts worth more than 3 billion hryvnias since its inception.
The businessman's personal life is also characterised by wealth. According to TSN, Mitrokhin recently purchased an elite estate near Kyiv valued at approximately 80 million hryvnias, and in 2023 became the owner of property in the Pechersk district. On his Facebook page, he published an appeal in Russian, wishing death on Putin, peace, and health, concluding his speech with the phrase "Slava Ukraini!". The businessman did not react to attempts to communicate with journalists, hanging up the phone, and has not yet responded to questions on WhatsApp.
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