A legislative "shield" for defense companies or a practical failure due to one wrong decision?

Ukraine is taking another important step in strengthening its “defense shield.” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed two laws aimed at protecting the defense industry, making it practically invisible to the enemy. However, these important initiatives could be undermined by serious miscalculations in related areas. This concerns the decision to transfer repair documentation for Mi-8 type helicopters to a company with Russian ties, which was approved by the State Aviation Service under the leadership of Oleksandr Bilchuk, UNN reports.

The Secret of “Defence City”President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed two laws, No. 4576-IX and No. 4577-IX, which amend the Tax and Civil Codes. They fundamentally change the approach to protecting data of Ukrainian defense enterprises. Law No. 4577-IX directly concerns the legal regime of “Defence City.” It provides for restricting access to information about resident companies in key public registers, such as the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, Individual Entrepreneurs, and Public Formations, the State Register of Real Property Rights, and the State Land Cadastre. This makes it impossible for the enemy to track the location, property status, and other important information.

Law No. 4576-IX complements this initiative – it allows defense enterprises to indicate only the address at which they maintain communication in the registers instead of their actual address. This step provides an additional level of protection and helps conceal the real locations of production facilities. Thus, Ukraine is creating a legislative mechanism to make it more difficult for the enemy to collect information for targeting defense industry enterprises.

Dangerous “Russian trace”Against the backdrop of these data protection efforts, a deep contradiction arises. As it became known from journalistic investigations and statements by officials, the temporarily suspended head of the State Aviation Service, Oleksandr Bilchuk, transferred the maintenance of repair documentation for Ukrainian Mi-8 type helicopters to AAL GROUP LTD, a company that may be connected to Russia’s defense-industrial complex. “Ukroboronprom” called for a review of Oleksandr Bilchuk’s decision, as it poses risks of sensitive information leakage regarding Ukrainian defense enterprises directly into the enemy’s hands. And People’s Deputy Fedir Venislavskyi confirmed the fears and stated that the leaders of the foreign company have Russian passports.

The situation becomes even more egregious, considering that the US has deemed the company, to which Bilchuk, already suspended from office, entrusted access to sensitive information, unsuitable for cooperation. This decision caused a serious resonance and even suspicions of treason. Former Deputy Prosecutor General Oleksiy Bahanets stated that the transfer of control over the Mi-8 helicopter repair market could be qualified as “undermining national security.”

Unfortunately, this case demonstrates that while the state is trying to protect its defense industry at the legislative level, individuals can make decisions that jeopardize national security by transferring key data to companies that are likely connected to the enemy.