Department for Economic Protection: what Kupranets did
Whilst serving as Deputy Head of the National Police, Igor Mykhailovych Kupranets headed the Department for Economic Protection. In 2016, at a conference on electoral fraud, he spoke about the case in Zatoka: an investigation into the alleged transfer of land, he said, had revealed a link to voter registration and possible fraud. This public statement illustrates the nature of the department’s work during that period. [1] [2]
On 13 September 2019, the National Police announced that the Minister of the Interior had accepted the resignations of several of its deputy heads. Kupranets was dismissed from the police force with the rank of third-rank police general. His declaration prior to his dismissal covers the period from January to 9 September 2019. [1] [3]
Post-service: holiday property and past affairs
In June 2025, Bihus.Info estimated the former police officer’s family’s property holdings to be worth at least $6 million and described their businesses in the hospitality, agricultural and extractive sectors. One of the reports concerned the Golovinsky quarry: journalists traced how a relative of Kupranets had become part of the ownership structure of a company that had previously been under the remit of his department. This concerns the corporate links identified by the journalists and their valuation; the origin of the funds requires a separate investigation. Kupranets is listed as director in the ‘Marcus Max’ fund’s registration details. [4] [5] [6]
What our editorial sources are reporting
The editorial team’s sources claim that Kupranets received payments from individuals linked to ‘Khimprom’ and facilitated cases against competitors. They did not provide any evidence of specific transfers or court rulings. The Bihus.Info investigation into the family’s business does not corroborate the alleged source of the funds.
This information comes from anonymous sources to the editorial team. The NABU has not been cited as the source of these statements; the editorial team has no independent confirmation of the version of events set out.
Background: ‘Carthage’ and ‘Khimprom’
The NABU and the National Police have published separate reports on the investigations. These publications provide context but do not confirm the information cited above from sources regarding this individual. [7] [8]
See also: ‘Carthage’ and ‘Khimprom’: an analysis of the NABU materials dated 4 November. [9]
