Public briefings and sessions of the Parliament's Temporary Special Commission (TSC) have long resembled well-rehearsed theatrical performances. While some politicians express outrage in front of the cameras regarding the fate of residents in the occupied territories, others use official broadcasts to stage praise rallies and report "miraculous random victories." The story surrounding the 1.5 billion hryvnias in unallocated budget balances of the Luhansk region and their "manual" exploitation vividly demonstrates how cozy apartments for officials, law enforcement, and their cronies are hidden beneath slogans of care for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Political Metamorphosis: From TSC Criticism to Defending the "Distribution"
Just recently, Member of Parliament Oleksandr Sukhov, during a parliamentary TSC meeting, harshly questioned officials about the fate of 400 million hryvnias taken from the Lysychansk community, demanding: "What right do you have to take millions from the community of Lysychansk?". At that time, assurances were made that the funds were allegedly intended exclusively for the "security sector."

However, as soon as the cameras were turned off, legislative hurdles vanished. Through Luhansk Regional Military Administration Decree No. 452 dated September 16, 2026, funds began to be massively funneled into subsidized housing loans through the "Derzhmolodzhytlo" institution at 3% per annum, with the possibility of massive state debt write-offs (up to 50%, and for specific categories, nearly 100% on amounts up to UAH 3 million). Furthermore, as soon as proceedings were initiated in the Dnipro District Administrative Court (case No. 160/34036/26) based on a lawsuit filed by IDP Serhiy Stulov regarding the illegality of this allocation and the failure to include the decree in the Unified State Register of Normative Legal Acts, the scheme’s defenders began to maneuver.

The "Magic" of Randomization Under Political Pains
Official broadcasts of the "random selections" turned into a distinct genre of political PR involving the Head of the Luhansk Regional State Administration Oleksiy Kharchenko, MP Maksym Tkachenko, and the Head of the IDP Council Yana Lyubimova. During the broadcasts, it was openly admitted that registration links were distributed using their private contact databases and Telegram channels. In the end, the nearly 600 families initially announced mysteriously shrank to 132 winners across the main registries.

But the real "magic" lies not in a random number generator like randompicker.com, but rather in the preliminary filtering stage of the candidates.

Discrimination by Design: How Real Displaced Persons and Students Are Cut Off
As evident from the lawsuit materials and numerous complaints on social media, bureaucratic circulars created a flawless system of discrimination:

• Blocking First-Wave IDPs (since 2014): People who fled more than ten years ago from communities that remain occupied face mass rejections under manufactured pretexts. For instance, because their registration in territorial community records is interpreted as a "non-occupied town," despite their actual status and updated IDP certificates.
• A Blow to Youth and Students: High pressure is applied to undergraduate and graduate students who enrolled in universities in Kyiv or other cities years ago and received temporary registration in dormitories. The administration now uses these temporary addresses as grounds for removal from programs and blanket denials.
• Value Disparity for Vulnerable Categories: While retirees with monthly payouts of 4,000–12,000 hryvnias struggle to survive amidst spiking housing and certificate prices, state subsidies and million-hryvnia write-offs somehow end up in the hands of completely different "candidates."

Who Actually Wins the "Blind" Random Selection?
An initial analysis of the winners' lists and open asset declarations (only 27 winners have been verified to date) only dampens the narrative of "accidental luck" championed by Oleksiy Kharchenko. Among those whom "fortune smiled upon," the following heavily figure:

• High-Ranking Officials and Security Forces: Deputy Chairman of the Sievierodonetsk District Council Kostiantyn Sukhov (No. 19), who happens to be the brother of the very same Oleksandr Sukhov who has finally decided which side to support in this competition. Executives and operatives of the Strategic Investigations Department of the National Police (Roman Shvets, Kyrylo Holubov), prosecutors (including the Prosecutor General's Office and prosecutors from Dnipro), as well as tax officials and Regional State Administration employees (such as heads of communal property divisions and departments).
• Politically and Administratively Connected Individuals: Lawyers, former civil servants, and figures from regional political orbits who secured subsidized loans with the option of near-total repayment at the state's expense.

Despite the fact that the court has denied the motion for injunctive relief at this stage, the review of case No. 160/34036/26 continues in the Dnipro District Administrative Court. Violations of budget legislation, non-compliance with Ministry of Justice registration requirements for official acts (letter No. 156034/177437-33-26/31), and systemic discrimination against real displaced persons demand maximum exposure. Keeping officials and the beneficiaries of such "schemes" accountable is only possible through public oversight and judicial pressure. The editorial team of "Po toy bik dialogu" announces the launch of a detailed verification process for each of the 132 new winners via public registries (YouControl, NACP, court cases). All gathered evidence will be forwarded to the investigative bodies of NABU and SBU as an addition to the already open court case.

To be continued.