Ukraine’s security secretary denies links to Carpathian drug network U420
National Security and Defence Council Secretary Ihor Klimenko denied that figures in the “Carpathian” case contacted him about the U420 drugstore network or sought to influence him. NABU investigators say the recordings discuss an attempted bribery involving the then interior minister, but no direct contact with Klimenko was recorded. The allegations remain part of an ongoing investigation, and officials said they found no evidence that Klimenko or Health Minister Viktor Liashko received bribes.
Key points
- Klimenko said on November 6 that no Carpathian case figures contacted him about U420 or could have pressured him through his associates.
- NABU head of detectives Oleksandr Abakumov said Yegor Burkin, alias “The Mexican,” discussed influencing the then interior minister so U420’s chemical formulas would not be banned.
- NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office announced suspicions against five suspected members of the criminal organization on November 4.
- The published recordings contain conversations between figures using the aliases “The Mexican” and “The Criminal,” not voices belonging to Ihor Klimenko or Viktor Liashko.
- Dmytro Lytvyn said on November 5 that investigators had not established any transfer of bribes to Klimenko or Liashko.
- Klimenko said U420 ceased operating after a law-enforcement operation and none of its stores reopened.
Why it matters
The dispute concerns whether the published recordings point to an attempt to corrupt a senior Ukrainian official or merely reflect criminals discussing how to overcome obstacles created by the Interior Ministry and Health Ministry. The distinction affects the integrity of the “Carpathian” investigation and political scrutiny of Klimenko, while NABU continues to identify anyone who claimed influence over him.
What happened
Klimenko rejected claims that representatives of the Khimprom narcotics group contacted him about U420 or attempted to influence him. He said he did not know who the recordings’ participants had in mind when discussing people supposedly capable of pressuring the interior minister.
NABU’s Abakumov said the recordings concerned Burkin’s alleged discussion of bribing the then interior minister to prevent a ban on formulas used by Khimprom. The intermediary “The Criminal” reportedly proposed giving a share of the narcotics business to people who could influence Klimenko instead of contacting him directly. Abakumov confirmed that no direct communication between the figures and Klimenko was recorded.
The published audio features only “The Mexican” and “The Criminal.” The transcript does not contain the surnames of Klimenko or Health Minister Viktor Liashko, although investigators and reporting connect certain letters and the context to them. Lytvyn said the materials did not establish that either official received a bribe.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting focused primarily on Klimenko’s denial, his inability to identify anyone in his circle who could have applied pressure, the transcript details, and reactions from anti-corruption activists and the President’s Office. Attention also focused on U420’s liquidation, the government ban on its substances and Klimenko’s warning that Khimprom could attempt further destabilization.
Where reporting differs
Klimenko interpreted the mention of his surname as two criminals discussing how to solve a problem represented by the Interior and Health ministries. By contrast, the investigators’ version is that the figures discussed bribing the then interior minister and potentially influencing him. Klimenko also allowed that highlighting a surname could theoretically be a pressure tactic, while saying he could not confirm that this occurred in the case. After the recordings were published, some anti-corruption activists called for his immediate dismissal, while presidential office sources called those accusations absurd and the presentation of the video incorrect.
Background
The “Carpathian” case concerns a criminal organization that, according to investigators, included at least 12 people and systematically paid officials from the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Police and the Prosecutor General’s Office for protection of fraudulent call centers, drug trafficking and other illegal businesses. NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office exposed the organization and announced suspicions against five suspected participants on November 4.
U420 sold substances with cannabis-derived formulas under the guise of souvenirs. The Interior Ministry and Health Ministry spent roughly two months preparing a government resolution to ban the relevant formulas. In April, the National Police searched several hundred U420 stores in Kyiv and other regions; the network subsequently closed. Klimenko headed the Interior Ministry from February 2023 until July 2026 and became secretary of the National Security and Defence Council on August 3.