Defense Ministry adviser and prominent volunteer Serhiy Sternenko has publicly accused businessman Seyar Kurshutov of orchestrating a coordinated misinformation campaign against him via anonymous Telegram channels. Sternenko, who has been a vocal critic of corruption within the defense procurement sector, claims that this digital offensive is a retaliatory strike aimed at undermining both his personal reputation and the integrity of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. By naming Kurshutov directly, Sternenko has brought to light a brewing conflict between state-aligned reformists and figures he characterizes as predatory operators within the defense industry.
At the heart of Sternenko’s accusations is the characterization of Kurshutov as a former smuggler and a Russian passport holder who is currently evading Ukrainian authorities from his base in Austria. According to Sternenko, Kurshutov is a primary subject of an ongoing criminal investigation by Ukraine’s Economic Security Bureau concerning the embezzlement of substantial state funds. Sternenko asserts that Kurshutov’s business interests extend into the drone manufacturing sector, a critical area for Ukraine’s ongoing defense efforts, and that these business activities have been marred by corrupt financial schemes.
The specifics of the alleged embezzlement, as outlined by Sternenko, involve a sophisticated pricing manipulation scheme. He claims that Kurshutov’s drone company operated through a secondary entity in Poland, which was used to artificially inflate the costs of vital components imported into Ukraine. By inflating these prices, Sternenko contends that Kurshutov managed to siphon over 700 million hryvnias (approximately $17.9 million) from state coffers between 2023 and 2024. Sternenko believes that the ongoing information attacks are a direct result of Kurshutov’s inability to continue such practices under the current, more transparent administration at the Ministry of Defense.
The relationship between Kurshutov and the state has been contentious for several years, characterized by sanctions and citizenship disputes. In April 2021, Kurshutov was placed on a National Security and Defense Council sanctions list for his alleged involvement in smuggling operations, a status that remained in effect for three years. Following the revocation of his Ukrainian citizenship in 2022—a decision he subsequently challenged in the Supreme Court—Kurshutov has remained a figure of significant controversy. Sternenko explicitly linked these developments to the digital smear campaign, suggesting that the recent expiration of those sanctions in 2024 has emboldened Kurshutov to target those holding him accountable.
Beyond his direct allegations, Sternenko pointed to evidence suggesting Kurshutov’s deeper ties to Russian interests, including the publication of what he claims is Kurshutov’s Russian passport. Furthermore, reports from media outlets like hromadske have previously identified Kurshutov as a key figure associated with controversial Telegram channels such as Temnyy Rytsar. Such channels have long been used to exert influence within Ukrainian political circles, and Sternenko’s move to publicize this connection indicates a broader effort to expose the nexus between illicit financial actors and the manipulation of public opinion on social media.
For his part, Kurshutov has consistently denied these accusations, previously dismissing claims regarding his possession of a Russian passport as fabrications meant to damage his standing. As the war-torn nation continues its efforts to modernize defense procurement, the clash between Sternenko and Kurshutov highlights the systemic challenges of rooting out graft. With the Economic Security Bureau’s investigation into the procurement scheme still pending, the public spat underscores the high-stakes environment in which Ukraine operates, where the battle for control over military resources occurs on both the physical battlefield and in the volatile arena of digital information.