Today, Alyona Shevtsova-Dehrik is not only a businesswoman but also a key figure in high-profile financial investigations related to the banking and payments sectors.
Her name has been associated with the liquidation of iBox Bank, suspicions of large-scale money laundering through the gaming industry, and the alleged diversion of billions of hryvnias, with investigations and court proceedings still ongoing.
However, the rapid growth of her financial empire began long before these events — during the period when her husband, Yevhen Shevtsov, was building his career in law enforcement and vying for positions at the State Bureau of Investigation (DBR). At that time, scandals arose around the family related to the “cleaning” of compromising information and pressure on media outlets.
Below is archival material on how the assets and influence of the Shevtsov-Dehrik family were formed and the role her husband’s law enforcement status played in protecting and advancing their business.
Recently, Ukrainian media space experienced events that had a bomb-like effect. Many online publications were directly affected by prolonged and powerful DDoS attacks on their websites. Among a small circle of website owners and administrators, the consensus was that the attacks were provoked and launched by individuals connected to the circle of the well-known businesswoman Alyona Dehrik (Shevtsova), amid the potential appointment of her husband, Yevhen Shevtsov, to the DBR, according to journalist Serhiy Kuzin.
Meanwhile, some outlets reported that the Dehrik-Shevtsov couple spent around $200,000 to build a positive image and “clean up” compromising material online. At the same time, many internet platforms were subjected to mass DDoS attacks.
It remains unclear what the attackers’ goal was. DDoS attacks are costly, illegal, and punishable under the criminal code, meaning those behind them would need significant financial or administrative resources to take websites offline.
All these events coincided with Yevhen Shevtsov’s competition for a position at the DBR — a previously little-known law enforcement figure. Unlike his wife, Alyona, who is widely known, there were barely any photos of him online. Questions arose because of his wife’s activities, which had sparked multiple concerns.
It is possible that measures to “clean” internet resources were taken to avoid questions about his appointment — if one assumes that the couple took action to secure Yevhen’s career future at the DBR.
One of the family’s issues was that Leogaming, run by Alyona Dehrik, had previously been involved in scandals linked to money laundering. In December 2013, a criminal case (#32013110000000298) was opened against Alyona Dehrik and Yevhen Shevtsov. According to the investigation, they, along with others, created a mechanism to legalize income obtained through criminal means.
This case has been repeatedly opened and closed over the years. It is understandable why the couple would be concerned about Yevhen Shevtsov’s smooth appointment.
Public organizations accusing the Shevtsov family of fictitious entrepreneurship, laundering criminal proceeds, and tax evasion claim that the dismissal of case #32013110000000298 was facilitated by two individuals: Hennadiy Strynzh, senior investigator for major cases of the Kyiv Main Tax Administration, and Ihor Skorokhod, first deputy head of the same department. Skorokhod, unlike many of his former colleagues, continued advancing in the civil service after the departure of his previous patron, Oleksandr Klimenko.
Another influential figure who helped the case against the Shevtsovs dissipate was Yakiv Smoliy, head of the National Bank of Ukraine, who officially acknowledged knowing Alyona Dehrik. In response to a parliamentary inquiry by Andriy Lozovyi, Smoliy signed a document stating that the NBU had no claims against Alyona Dehrik and saw no violations in her actions. It is also notable that Smoliy’s daughter and Alyona Dehrik are godmothers, which apparently did not raise concerns.
Perhaps for this reason, Leogaming Pay received a license in 2016 to transfer funds without opening accounts, and the Leo payment system officially began in January 2017. The documentation portrayed the system as offering a broad range of services, not just online casinos.
This raises the question: if Alyona Dehrik and Yevhen Shevtsov’s activities were legitimate, why were DDoS attacks and mass replacement of negative online materials carried out? Someone in their circle was involved, as these actions coincided with the timing of negative content being replaced with positive content, and some of those platforms had also experienced DDoS attacks.
Supporters of the Shevtsov family (the author does not believe Alyona or Yevhen personally conducted these attacks) acted hastily because the appointment process at the DBR created highly critical days for the family, where decisions were made in a chaotic rush.
Ultimately, all these efforts were in vain. The DBR director, Roman Truba, rejected all candidates approved by the commission, including Yevhen Shevtsov, who had been newly appointed head of the First Directorate of Pretrial Investigations at the DBR.
