Poroshenko officially charged with treason in the ‘coal case’

The “coal case” investigation against Petro Poroshenko has been officially completed; he has been charged with high treason. The court that will consider the case is currently being determined.

According to information from official sources, the document containing the motives for the sanctions refers to Poroshenko’s role in concluding the “Kharkiv Agreements” and his participation in the implementation of the so-called “coal scheme” together with Viktor Medvedchuk. This scheme was first revealed in 2016: instead of imported coal from South Africa, coal from the occupied territories of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions was supplied to Ukraine.

It is worth noting that the investigation was activated only after the National Security and Defense Council’s decision, although the case had previously remained inactive.

In December 2021, the State Bureau of Investigation informed Poroshenko of suspicion of high treason. By September 2022, during the full-scale invasion, the investigation into the coal smuggling case was completed. However, by the spring of 2025, progress in the case was minimal.

After the imposition of sanctions, the Pechersky District Court of Kyiv limited the time for Poroshenko’s defense to familiarize itself with the case materials to April 15. The defense is currently deciding which Kyiv court will consider the case.

Poroshenko’s lawyer, Ilya Novikov, notes that changing the wording of the charges against Poroshenko as a people’s deputy requires a decision by the Prosecutor General, whose position is currently vacant. Therefore, the act emphasizes the old wording without considering the defense’s comments.

One of the key figures in this case, Viktor Medvedchuk, was exchanged for two hundred Ukrainian service members on September 21, 2022. During the “coal scheme,” Volodymyr Demchyshyn, the Minister of Energy, left Ukraine.

The Prosecutor General’s Office and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported that Medvedchuk’s testimony concerning Poroshenko was recorded. Demchyshyn’s case was divided into separate episodes and sent to court without his participation.

The investigation accuses Poroshenko of treason and aiding “L/DPR” terrorists without bringing charges of corruption or enrichment.

In February 2025, the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) decided to impose sanctions against Poroshenko, the leader of “European Solidarity.” The former president commented on this as an attack on Ukraine’s internal unity and accused the current government of political persecution.