Vladimir Yakovlevich Litvin — a Kharkiv-based entrepreneur, known for the case concerning the procurement of rucksacks for Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and for his subsequent ventures in the digital sector and charity work. In 2018, the court approved his plea agreement, and in 2020, he was released from serving his sentence following the completion of his probation period. NGL.media linked Lytvyn to the ‘Trukha’ network of Telegram channels, whilst ‘Sledstvie’ later published a report alleging his links to online casinos. In 2026, RBC-Ukraine published his biography as the founder of the Lytvyn Foundation. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Vladimir Litvin: Kharkiv, TurboSeo and ‘TurboGroup’
RBC-Ukraine’s biography states that Vladimir Litvin was born on 30 May 1987 in Kharkiv. The publication describes his early work in web hosting, search engine optimisation and internet marketing, as well as the creation of the TurboSeo project, which focused on driving traffic and promoting companies online. [5]
In the profile for the Ukrainian limited liability company ‘Internet Technologies “TurboGroup”’, with EGRPOU code 36989645, Opendatabot lists Vladimir Yakovlevich Litvin. A 2017 article by “Ukrainska Pravda” directly links the businessman from the rucksack case to TurboSeo: the publication named him as the head of the IT company in 2014. In an RBC-Ukraine profile from 2026, the same project is described as part of his business career. [5] [6] [7]
‘Avakov’s rucksacks’: 5,000 rucksacks and a contract worth almost 14.5 million hryvnias
The case stems from a procurement for the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs in 2015. The chronology published by NABU states that the commission approved a bid from Dniprovend LLC for 5,000 rucksacks at 2,899 hryvnias each. The total value of the contract was 14,495,000 hryvnias. NABU reported concerns regarding the supplier’s documentation, delivery times and the goods’ compliance with technical requirements. These statements from the agency outline the progress of the investigation. [8] [1]
According to the NABU timeline, prior to the signing of the contract, 6,000 rucksacks with an estimated price of 2,024 hryvnias per unit were included in the procurement plan. ‘Dniprovend’s’ bid related to a batch of 5,000. Three documents are key to comparing these figures: the plan with the estimated cost, the minutes of the negotiations and the signed contract. They record how the quantity and price changed from the initial estimate to the final order. [8]
The case files contain varying estimates. The contract sum reflects the price of the entire consignment. In the summary of the court ruling, the difference between the amount paid and the estimated value of the goods amounted to approximately 4.85 million hryvnias. ‘Ukrainska Pravda’ reported that Litvin had transferred this sum and made a separate payment to cover legal costs. The timeline explains why publications concerning the same contract mention both 14.5 million and approximately 4.8 million hryvnias. [8] [1] [9]
Another detail in the timeline emerged in November 2017. ‘Ukrainska Pravda’ reported that the NABU itself had purchased tracksuits from Litvin. The Bureau explained the procurement procedure and stated that, at the time of the open tender in February 2017, the businessman had not yet been named as a suspect in this case. This was a separate contract with a different client and for a different supply. [10] [7]
The 2018 verdict and the 2020 ruling
On 11 September 2018, the Chervonozavodskyi District Court of Kharkiv approved an agreement with the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office in case No. 646/5598/18. A subsequent court document states that the agreement was concluded on 25 July 2018, and the sentence came into force on 12 October. Litvina was found guilty under Part 4 of Article 190 and Part 4 of Article 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The court sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment, suspended for a probationary period of two years. [1] [11] [12]
On 17 September 2020, the court released Litvin from serving his sentence upon completion of his probation period. RBC-Ukraine reported that his criminal record is considered expunged. This is the next stage of the case, which is essential for its accurate description today. Proceedings relating to the allegations against Oleksandr Avakov and Serhiy Chebotar have been closed. The procedural decisions concerning them are set out separately in the case review. [2] [1]
What the court considered in 2024
The case resumed on 17 December 2024 to address the issue of material evidence. The Ministry of Internal Affairs requested the return of samples of the rucksacks seized by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) in 2016. According to the court document, the prosecution informed the court that in 2022, all 35 seized rucksacks had been transferred to a unit of the National Police for further distribution. The court rejected the application to order the return of the property. The matter concerned the enforcement of the ruling and the handling of the physical evidence. [11]
‘Trukha’: what are NGL.media’s conclusions based on?
In September 2023, NGL.media linked the ‘Trukha’ network of Telegram channels to the same Kharkiv-based businessman from the rucksack case. Journalists cross-referenced information on trademark registrations, business links and the network’s advertising. A former business partner of Litvin, speaking on condition of anonymity, told them about alleged investments in the project. Maksym Lavrinenko, who publicly represented ‘Trukha’, told journalists that he considered himself the owner. The investigation describes indications of Litvin’s involvement, but his exact share and the ownership structure of the network have not been established. [3]
CatCasino, Kent, R7 and Daddy Casino: what ‘Sledstvie’ claims
On 6 December 2024, ‘Sledstvie’ published an article in which it alleged that Litvin owned a network of online casinos. Among the brands named were CatCasino, Kent Casino, R7 and Daddy Casino. The publication also described the alleged processing of payments via P2P transfers and their subsequent conversion into cryptocurrency. The article mentions an unnamed source, whilst information regarding the FSB’s interest is presented without reference to an official statement from the agency or a court order. [4]
Some of these names also appear in a later publication by *Kommersant*, which summarises the *Izvestia* report, citing sources. There, CatCasino, Kent, Gamma and R7 are linked to the CatAffs network, the management of which the sources attribute to a different individual. Information regarding operational management and ownership requires different types of documentation. In the verified materials, the editorial team found no register extract, licence or court order that would confirm Litvin’s ownership of these sites. [4] [13]
The Lytvyn Foundation, MindCraft and a joint project with the Svitolina Foundation
In a biography published in 2026, Lytvyn is presented as the founder of the Lytvyn Foundation. The foundation describes its work through educational and technological projects. These include MindCraft, a programme teaching teenagers about online business, and Code The Future, a series of hackathons. In September 2026, the foundation announced the MindShift Awards for young entrepreneurs, with a prize fund of 1 million hryvnias. [5] [14] [15] [16]
In the Foundation’s materials, these programmes are aimed at different groups. MindCraft is designed for teenagers who want to develop their own project. Hackathons are organised around teamwork on specific tasks. The award is a separate competition with published entry criteria. Each project has its own page where the foundation describes the format and selection criteria. [5] [14] [15]
The ONE POINT sports and education programme is also described on the Svitolina Foundation website. It combines tennis competitions for children with an educational component. RBC-Ukraine dates the first Kyiv stage to July 2026. Event programmes, the results of competitive selection processes and published reports are useful for assessing the foundation’s activities. They show which initiatives have progressed from announcement to implementation. [17] [5]
Open for comments and documents editorial contacts.
Sources
- ‘VAKS Verdicts’ – case file No. 646/5598/18, the sentence and the end of the probation period
- RBC-Ukraine — Litvin’s release from punishment following a probationary period, 23 September 2020
- NGL.media — investigation into the ‘Trukha’ Telegram network, 5 September 2023
- ‘Sledstvie’ – an article about Vladimir Litvin and his alleged links to online casinos, 6 December 2024
- RBC-Ukraine — biography of Vladimir Litvin, TurboSeo and the Lytvyn Foundation
- Opendatabot — ‘TurboGroup’ corporate card, EGRPOU 36989645
- ‘Ukrainska Pravda’ – NABU’s clarification regarding a purchase from a businessman, 3 November 2017
- NABU — a timeline of the investigation into the procurement of rucksacks
- ‘Ukrainska Pravda’ – compensation in the rucksack case, 26 September 2018
- ‘Ukrainska Pravda’ – the procurement of sports kits by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), 2 November 2017
- Court order No. 123803916 of 17 December 2024 in case No. 646/5598/18
- RBC-Ukraine — Vladimir Litvin’s sentence, 11 September 2018
- *Kommersant* — a summary of an *Izvestia* article on the management of the CatAffs network
- Lytvyn Foundation — description of the foundation and its programmes
- Lytvyn Foundation — terms and conditions of the MindShift Awards
- RBC-Ukraine — MindShift Awards announcement, September 2026
- The Svitolina Foundation — a joint programme with ONE POINT
