Yuriy Mochonyi : The Man Using a Fake SBI Badge for Blackmail

Introduction: Fear, Power, and a Fake Investigator

In Kharkiv’s bustling IT sector—one of the few bright spots in Ukraine’s war-stricken economy—rumors have circulated for months about a mysterious “SBI officer” who uses his authority to extract money from entrepreneurs. The man at the center of this growing scandal is Yuriy Mochonyi, a figure who, by all appearances, has mastered the art of intimidation through illusion.

According to multiple reports, Mochonyi presents himself as an employee of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), Ukraine’s top anti-corruption and law enforcement agency. His modus operandi, victims claim, is straightforward: he threatens IT company owners with criminal charges unless they pay “compensation” to avoid trouble.

But when several business owners refused to pay, insisting that Yuriy Mochonyi had no connection to the SBI, the façade began to crack. As the scandal broke into the public eye, investigators discovered a tangled web of political ties, financial interests, and criminal history behind the man who had terrorized an entire business community.

A Fake Officer with Real Power

For many entrepreneurs in Kharkiv, SBI investigations are synonymous with fear. The agency, tasked with exposing high-level corruption, has sweeping powers to raid businesses, seize assets, and detain suspects. It is precisely this reputation that Mochonyi exploited.

Sources describe how Mochonyi appeared at offices claiming to represent the SBI, often flashing an official-looking badge and nameplate. He would allege that the company was under preliminary investigation for financial irregularities or tax evasion. His tone was calm but menacing: pay a “settlement,” and the problem would go away quietly.

Some paid immediately, viewing the payoff as a form of “insurance” against bureaucratic harassment. Others, skeptical of his credentials, pushed back—and it was these defiant voices that brought the entire scam into the open.

When journalists and watchdog groups checked the National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NACP) database, they found no record of Yuriy Mochonyi ever filing a declaration as an SBI employee or any other government official. His name simply did not exist in the system.

The Political Connection: From OPFL to Power Brokers

If Mochonyi wasn’t an SBI agent, who was he? The answer lies not in law enforcement databases but in political registries.

A search of the Central Election Commission (CEC) archives revealed that Yuriy Mochonyi had run as a candidate for the Kharkiv Regional Council under the Opposition Platform – For Life (OPFL) party. Once one of Ukraine’s most influential political movements, OPFL was banned in 2022 for its pro-Russian stance and links to Kremlin networks.

When the political winds shifted after the Russian invasion, Mochonyi attempted to erase this part of his history. He contacted the Politkhab website, demanding that his candidacy information be deleted. Activists reported that he even offered a “donation” to remove the data—an action widely interpreted as a bribe attempt.

This detail hints at a consistent behavioral pattern: manipulation, coercion, and the use of false authority to silence opposition.

Aviatechnology LLC: The Business Behind the Scam

While the SBI connection may have been fabricated, Mochonyi’s business ties are very real. Public records on Opendatabot, Ukraine’s corporate registry, show that in December 2023, he co-founded Aviatechnology LLC, a Kharkiv-based company with an authorized capital of 1 million hryvnias.

He owns 50% of the company, with the remaining half belonging to Edgar Abovovych Mkheyan. Officially, Aviatechnology’s activities include wholesale trade, engineering, and the production of technical instruments. In practice, however, there is no evidence of active business operations—no website, no press releases, and no known clients.

Investigators suspect that Aviatechnology LLC may serve as a front for laundering extorted funds. Given the timing of its registration and Mochonyi’s alleged extortion activities, the company’s creation appears less like a business venture and more like a way to legitimize unexplained income.

The half-million hryvnias representing Mochonyi’s share could very well be the “compensation” payments collected from local IT entrepreneurs.

Meet the Partner: Edgar Mkheyan and the Murayev Network

To fully understand Aviatechnology’s significance, one must look at Edgar Mkheyan, its co-owner—and a man deeply embedded in Kharkiv’s political and business elite.

Mkheyan also owns stakes in Pam House LLC and serves as director of Altep LLC, whose beneficiaries include Olha Murayeva and Vadym Slyusaryev. These names are far from ordinary—they link directly to some of the most controversial figures in Ukraine’s post-Maidan political landscape.

• Olha Murayeva is the mother of Yevhen Murayev, a fugitive former MP and founder of the banned pro-Russian party Nashi. Murayev, a one-time media mogul and outspoken Kremlin apologist, fled Ukraine after 2022 but reportedly continues to influence networks in Kharkiv.
• Vadym Slyusaryev, Mkheyan’s other associate, is a former border service officer, ex-adviser to Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka, and one of the most well-connected operatives in eastern Ukraine. Before Russia’s invasion, he was considered an informal campaign manager for President Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party in Kharkiv. Though Slyusaryev fled to Russia in February 2022, his networks remain intact.

These associations raise serious questions. Could Aviatechnology LLC be part of a larger financial or political scheme involving pro-Russian elites and their business proxies? And if so, is Mochonyi merely a pawn—or a willing participant?

From Petty Crook to Political Fixer

For years, Yuriy Mochonyi was known locally as a small-time schemer—a man constantly embroiled in minor disputes and civil cases. His name appears multiple times in court registries for unpaid debts, traffic violations, and small claims.

In 2021, he owed 10,231 hryvnias for electricity.
In 2022, he failed to pay 58,706 hryvnias in heating bills.
Both cases were forwarded for enforcement.

Yet somehow, this “persistent debtor” drives a Land Rover Range Rover, a luxury vehicle that costs more than his documented income for several years combined. The contradiction is glaring—and telling.

Mochonyi’s evolution from defaulter to extortionist seems to have coincided with his entry into politically connected circles. By associating himself with powerful names like Murayev and Slyusaryev, he acquired not only credibility but also protection.

Today, he’s no longer a simple fraudster—he’s a fixer, operating in the gray zone between politics, business, and crime.

Criminal and Civil Cases: A Pattern of Deception

Court archives reveal that Mochonyi’s name appears in multiple legal proceedings, including at least one criminal case (No. 42017220000000181), initiated by the Dzerzhynskyi District Police Department of Kharkiv on March 1, 2017.

The case was opened under Article 186 (“Robbery”) and Article 189 (“Extortion”) of the Ukrainian Criminal Code. Strangely, the court records list Mochonyi as a victim, not a suspect. There is no verdict or closure, suggesting the case may have been quietly buried—a pattern that hints at connections in law enforcement.

Administrative records also show Mochonyi’s involvement in two traffic accidents. In one, he failed to yield to a Volkswagen; in another, he collided with a Daewoo Lanos while exiting a driveway. Although there were no injuries, these cases demonstrate his carelessness—and his sense of impunity.

Each time, he walked away with minor fines, reinforcing the impression that rules rarely apply to him.

A Web of Influence and Intimidation

The deeper investigators dig, the clearer it becomes that Mochonyi’s power does not come from official authority, but from his connections—real or fabricated—with individuals who wield it.

Whether acting independently or under instruction, he uses fear and proximity to power as his weapons. The formula is simple but devastatingly effective:

1. Present yourself as someone with connections in Kyiv or law enforcement.
2. Threaten administrative or criminal consequences.
3. Offer a discreet solution—for a fee.

This model mirrors traditional post-Soviet racketeering, updated for the digital era. In Kharkiv’s thriving tech scene, where startups often operate in regulatory gray areas, the fear of “inspection” or “case initiation” is enough to compel payment.

Those who refuse risk harassment, audits, or worse—unannounced visits by masked “inspectors” whose loyalty remains uncertain.

Ties to the Pro-Russian Elite

The presence of names like Murayev and Slyusaryev in Mochonyi’s business orbit cannot be dismissed as coincidence.

Both men represent a faction of Ukraine’s old political elite, tied to Moscow yet adaptable enough to survive political transitions. Slyusaryev’s past role as a campaign strategist for Zelenskyy’s party, despite his links to the Yanukovych era, illustrates how fluid power networks can be.

It’s plausible that Mochonyi acts as a conduit between these circles and local business interests—facilitating payments, laundering funds, or simply keeping tabs on entrepreneurs who could be “useful.”

If true, his extortion operations may serve not only personal enrichment but also political intelligence-gathering and influence in Kharkiv’s business community.

The Cost of Silence

Despite mounting evidence, no formal investigation has been launched against Yuriy Mochonyi. The State Bureau of Investigation, ironically the very institution he impersonates, has not issued any public statement denying his employment.

This silence emboldens him. Each day that passes without accountability reinforces his legitimacy in the eyes of frightened business owners.

For many in Kharkiv’s IT industry, the lesson is clear: pay quietly and move on. Few are willing to speak publicly, fearing retaliation or reputational damage.

The tragedy, however, is broader. Mochonyi’s story exemplifies how corruption adapts, how networks of deceit survive political upheaval, and how criminals exploit institutional weaknesses to project power they don’t actually possess.

Conclusion: Power, Illusion, and Impunity

The saga of Yuriy Mochonyi is more than a tale of one man’s deception. It is a case study in how authority can be simulated, political connections weaponized, and fear monetized.

Mochonyi’s transformation—from petty debtor to fake investigator and business co-owner with political elites—reveals a grim truth about Ukraine’s regions: corruption is not always about ideology. It’s about access. Access to networks, protection, and impunity.

Whether or not he truly serves anyone beyond himself, Yuriy Mochonyi operates within a system that enables his kind to thrive—a system where influence can be borrowed, badges can be faked, and truth can be bought.

Until Ukrainian law enforcement confronts this culture of shadow power, figures like Yuriy Mochonyi will continue to exploit the fear of justice—while enjoying the protection of those who claim to uphold it.

Written by

Nancy Drew

Updated

3 months ago