Court Halts PrivatBank’s Attempt to Collect Debt from Missing Soldier.

Dispute with PrivatBank

According to TSN.ua: A conflict has emerged between PrivatBank and the family of Volodymyr Burenko, a soldier who went missing while on a combat mission in the Kharkiv region in the fall of 2024. The bank is seeking to recover a debt of 94,000 hryvnias, comprising 75,000 hryvnias in principal and 19,000 hryvnias in interest.

Volodymyr’s wife, Olena Burenko, provided the bank with all necessary documents confirming her husband’s status as a soldier and missing person. Despite this, PrivatBank froze Volodymyr’s accounts and added 20,000 hryvnias in “overdue” interest. In response to Olena’s inquiries, bank representatives stated:

“Everything will be frozen.”

Court Rulings and Legislative Impact

When reviewing the case, the court suspended proceedings because the defendant holds the status of a soldier and a missing person. As lawyer Olena Zavodynska noted,

“The proceedings in the case have been halted. Since the defendant is a soldier and has the status of a missing person, the case cannot be considered.”

This incident is not isolated, as PrivatBank has frequently been at the center of similar controversies. In this instance, the bank’s actions raise concerns given the dire circumstances faced by the soldier and his family.

Conflicts between financial institutions and soldiers who have gone missing underscore the need to protect the rights of such individuals and their relatives, especially during wartime. The situation involving Volodymyr Burenko could serve as a catalyst for changes in legislation governing bank-military relations, aiming to prevent similar cases in the future. It is crucial for financial institutions to uphold social responsibility in their operations, particularly in the context of Ukraine’s armed conflict.