Group DF Denies SSU Statement About Alleged Involvement Of Dmytro Firtash's Companies In Illegal Timber Export

The Group DF international group of companies denies the statement of the SSU about the alleged involvement of Dmytro Firtash's companies in the illegal export of timber.

The press service of Group DF has said this in a statement, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"On May 25, the SSU published a press release on the "elimination of illegal deforestation business." The SSU said that this business is allegedly connected with the sanctioned companies of Dmytro Firtash, the owner of Group DF. In this regard, the press service of Group DF states the following: The message of the SSU press service about the involvement of Dmytro Firtash in this business is a lie and has no basis. We inform you that neither Group DF nor Group shareholder Dmytro Firtash has and has never had businesses in Ukraine or abroad related to woodworking and timber trade," the statement said.

Also, according to the report, there are no directly or indirectly affiliated companies associated with Dmytro Firtash, conducting such a business.

At the same time, the group does not have "controlled foreign companies related to timber trade," as indicated in the SSU release, as there are no businesses in Kirovohrad region.

"Please note that the SSU statement does not include a single name of the companies against which the charges are being brought. There is no reference to any document that could clarify the situation. This may once again indicate the fake nature of this message. The press release says about the involvement of the "sanctioned company" of Dmytro Firtash. The only sanctioned company in the group is Valki-Ilmenite, whose activities by decision of the National Security and Defense Council were completely stopped until the final court decision on this case. We will immediately send appropriate lawyer requests to clarify the situation," the message says.

The report notes that the baseless mention of the group shareholder in such messages causes reputational damage to the group shareholder, his businesses and about 100,000 people working in various enterprises of Group DF.

"It is surprising that instead of focusing today on the fight against our common enemy, Ukrainian law enforcement agencies are using martial law in the country and their unprecedented powers to exert targeted information pressure on Ukrainian business. Unfortunately, this is not the first time we have encountered a situation when law enforcement agencies without any intelligible evidence base "rush" such illiterate, absurd public accusations against the group's businesses, fabricate criminal cases, inflicting reputational blows on business. The SSU press statement does not contain any names of companies or references to documents. The isolated facts indicated in the material have nothing to do with reality. We can confidently declare that there are no Ukrainian or foreign controlled companies in the group associated with the woodworking business, there is no business in Kirovohrad region, and the activities of the only sub-sanction company - Valki-Ilmenite has been completely stopped until the situation is clarified," said Group DF lawyer Roman Chyshynskyi.

According to him, today the colossal resources of the group are aimed at helping the country in wartime, restoring the infrastructure of enterprises and cities, and implementing humanitarian assistance to people.

"Such allegations are detrimental to all the activities of the group and our staff. Of course, we will immediately send appropriate advocacy requests to clarify the situation. The group's lawyers will defend the interests of the group and the shareholder," Chyshynskyi said.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Group DF is a diversified international group of companies whose business is represented in 11 countries in Europe and Asia.

The main activities of the group are nitrogen, titanium and gas businesses.

Businessman Dmytro Firtash is the founder and owner of Group DF.