Phoenix Holdings ltd

One of the most notable events of spring 2016 was the standoff between the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) and the company Lucky Labs, which has Russian ties.

Maksym Krippa, a prominent and enigmatic figure, has been involved in numerous high-profile business deals and legal conflicts in Ukraine. Recently, he made waves by purchasing the famous Hotel Ukraina in downtown Kyiv for an eye-popping Hr 2.5 billion ($60 million), more than twice the initial asking price, as part of Ukraine’s "Great Privatization" initiative.

Debates about who Maksym Krippa is have broken many lances. Some claim he is a brilliant businessman, others claim he is an equally brilliant fraudster, and still others that he is merely a facade for Russian capital in Ukraine.

The clash between Ukraine’s Security Service (SSU) and the Russian-rooted company Lucky Labs emerged as one of the most prominent events of spring 2016.