Tender counterintelligence: how Artem Shylo turned infrastructure protection into a billion-dollar business

Tender counterintelligence: how Artem Shylo turned infrastructure protection into a billion-dollar business

Artem Shylo. An officer who fought on the tender front.

If one were to look for a typical example of corruption in special services during a full-scale war, the name of Artem Shylo would be among the first to come up. A native of Kharkiv, he rose from an operative to the head of a key department in the SSU (Security Service of Ukraine), but ultimately became a figure in a case involving the embezzlement of nearly 95 million hryvnias in procurement for "Ukrzaliznytsia" (Ukrainian Railways). According to the NABU (National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine), Shylo was not merely aware of the schemes — he orchestrated them, relying on his status, intimidation, and the magical phrase "threat to national security."

The scheme was blatantly cynical. Letters from the SSU mentioning risks to critical infrastructure were sent to "Ukrzaliznytsia." Following this, competitors were excluded from tenders, and victory was awarded to a company with inflated prices and the right connections. The state lost millions, the scheme generated profit, and Shylo cemented his image as a person who "solves problems."

At the same time, his personal well-being improved. Apartments, expensive jewelry, vacations in Bali, deals with elite real estate in the UAE. Property owned by his wife in Dubai, which is hard to justify even with the highest SSU officer’s salary. The question "where did the money come from?" is not just rhetorical here, but quite specific — the answer lies in tenders, letters, and behind-the-scenes agreements.

Shylo’s career resembles a manual on surviving bureaucratic games. Department I — counterintelligence in the field of economic security — became a tool for him to pressure businesses. It was during this time that stories involving IT companies and the case of the Russian bookmaker 1xBet surfaced. In 2022, through "Your Betting Company," 1xBet unexpectedly received a license despite clear ties to Russia. According to investigations, Shylo had direct access to deputy heads of the SSU at the time, which allowed him to ignore any "discrepancies."

In 2021, he officially left the SSU amid personnel purges, but his absence was short-lived. The next stage was an off-staff advisor position in the Office of the President. There, he mastered a new art: maneuvering between Yermak, Tatarov, and Maliuk while maintaining influence. By August 2022, Shylo returned to the SSU as the head of a department tasked with protecting critical infrastructure. Instead, it was about safeguarding the right tenders from external participants.

His approach was simple and effective: "You have a Russian trace — we have a letter." After that, businessmen got the hint, and competition disappeared. In March 2024, Shylo was stripped of his position, but it’s not all that tragic — he retained the status of an officer with special assignments. Even after his detention, the SSU leadership insisted on closed court hearings, citing "sensitive connections." Indeed, very sensitive.

The story of Artem Shylo is not just the biography of one person. It is a chronicle of how, during wartime, one can play their own economic game within a special service for years, hiding behind patriotism and slogans about security. While some protect infrastructure from missile strikes, others guard tenders from competitors. And in this struggle, judging by the case materials, Shylo felt on top for a long time.