Competition for the position of head of customs 2026: scandals of candidates Menshikov, Miroshnychenko and Suvorov

On March 23, interviews with candidates for the position of Head of the State Customs Service of Ukraine began at the Radisson Blu Kyiv Podil hotel in Kyiv. The competition will run until March 26, and the interviews will be broadcast live. The participants are raising many inquiries, including those on customs schemes, issues in the real estate sector, and NACP inspections.

This competition is part of Ukraine’s obligations to the International Monetary Fund. Despite the delay, it has nevertheless begun.

During the week, the commission will conduct interviews with 15 candidates from various fields: customs officers, tax officers, border guards, businesspeople, teachers, NABU detectives, and NACP employees. Among them are individuals with past corruption scandals.

The first on the list of applicants was the acting Head of the State Aviation Service, Daniil Menshikov, whose participation has sparked discussion due to his previous experience at Cherkasy Customs, as well as searches related to the import of cars without paying duty. The NACP also found inaccuracies in his declaration of 14 million UAH, casting doubt on the transparency of his financial situation.

Next on the interview schedule at 11:00 will be Ivan Kerezvas, acting head of Lviv Customs. For the past five years, he has been actively working in the SBU, and his relatives have been involved in the purchase of real estate for significant amounts.

At 14:00, Mykhailo Miroshnychenko, who previously headed the Odessa Customs, will be interviewed. During his work there, the capital recorded significant budget losses due to schemes related to grain exports.

The last person to be interviewed at 4:00 p.m. is Vladislav Suvorov, deputy head of the State Customs Service. His name is associated with possible smuggling schemes.

The integrity check of the candidates is of particular concern, as some of them have significant assets and are suspected of corruption. The interviews can be watched live on the organizers’ YouTube channel.