This is state raiding: entrepreneur Zhevago on the SBI's initiatives to nationalize Ferrexpo Poltava Mining

He said this on the Espreso TV channel.

“The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has stated without any grounds that they will nationalize assets without any court decision. That is, a raider scheme has been developed to nationalize assets of Ukrainian and foreign owners. If the National Security and Defense Council does not like something, it gathers not judges, but officials and bureaucrats who have no judicial education and do not ensure the process of mutual defense. In court, there is a competitive process, there is prosecution, there is defense, and then judges with the appropriate education make a decision within a certain time.

And now, officials have gathered at the National Security and Defense Council and decided in three minutes that a person is subject to sanctions. Based on this decision, the SBI or any law enforcement agency can file a lawsuit with the High Anti-Corruption Court to nationalize any asset in Ukraine. This is state raiding, which takes away assets. In the case of Poltava Mining, the shares they are trying to expropriate and nationalize are the assets of international investors. My family and I own shares in an international company, but I have no shares in Poltava Mining and other mining companies,” Zhevago emphasized. 

According to the businessman, the international company, along with other investors, holds shares in Ukrainian enterprises. That is, if someone tries to expropriate Poltava Mining or any other asset of any public company, they are actually nationalizing the shares of all investors who have invested their money in Ukraine.

“That is, it is an attempt to expropriate and nationalize not only the assets of Ukrainian owners and entrepreneurs, but also the world's largest investors who bought these shares on the London Stock Exchange,” Zhevago explained.

The entrepreneur also added that President Zelenskyy says that Ukraine wants to conclude a multi-year agreement with the United States and provide access to mineral resources for development and profit, while supporting Ukraine financially and militarily.

“But what are the real actions? Investors who have invested $3.5 billion in Ukraine say that we, American investors, and they make up 85% of Ferrexpo's register, were invited to invest and develop enterprises, and then we will simply be nationalized. How can we come to Ukraine after that? We will never come here again, because we have been investing for 17 years, and now they are trying to nationalize everything.

Yesterday, investors said they did not want to have anything to do with this approach of the government to international and domestic investors and began to actively sell their shares. As a result, the price of shares on the London Stock Exchange fell by 30%,” Zhevago summarized.

What is known about sanctions against 5 people imposed by Zelenskyy

On February 12, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy enacted the decision of the National Security and Defense Council to impose sanctions on several people. According to the register of sanctions actions, the following people were subject to restrictions: the fifth president Petro Poroshenko, businessman Kostiantyn Zhevago, co-founders and former shareholders of Privatbank Hennadiy Boholyubov and Ihor Kolomoisky, and former MP Viktor Medvedchuk. Subsequently, the Office of the Prosecutor General reported that it was providing procedural guidance in a number of criminal proceedings against businessmen and high-ranking officials who had been subjected to personal sanctions by the National Security and Defense Council.

In his video address, Zhevago called the sanctions imposed on him “absolutely illegal,” emphasized that they have no valid grouds, and noted that this is “another episode of political persecution by President Zelenskyy.”

Zhevago emphasized that there is no court decision against him that would confirm a threat to the national security, territorial integrity or sovereignty of Ukraine. 

According to his press service, Zhevago actively supports the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Through the Zhevago Family Charitable Foundation and the companies where he and his family are shareholders, the needs of our defenders have already been funded to the tune of billions of hryvnias.

“Judging by the decision on sanctions, my support for the Armed Forces is recognized as a threat to national security. I have been banned from defense procurement, which actually means a ban on supplying aid to our military. The Zhevago Family Foundation has repeatedly received gratitude from military units, including the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine in early 2025,” said Zhevago.