State Tax Service dismisses excise department head Kristina Bozhenko

Personnel changes in the excise sector

From 9 November 2026, Kristina Bozhenko has been dismissed from her position as head of the excise department of the State Tax Service. She was directly responsible for servicing the tobacco and alcohol schemes linked to Igor Abramovich, who is considered the leader of the organised crime group "Monaco".

Official justification

The authorities cited the failure to meet targets for excise revenue to the budget in October as the reason for the dismissal. The shortfall in collecting these funds served as the formal pretext for terminating the official's powers.

Real motives behind the decision

According to assessments, Finance Minister Marchenko is acting preventively. Large-scale investigations by law enforcement agencies into mechanisms for evading excise tax and VAT fraud are expected to commence. The government official is rushing to remove officials whose names could potentially appear in criminal proceedings.