Yevheniy Chernyak has invested $1.3 million in whiskey production in Canada and is currently wanted by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

One of the wealthiest Ukrainian businessmen according to Forbes Ukraine, 55-year-old Yevheniy Chernyak, has launched contract whiskey production in Canada, investing $1.3 million (over 54 million UAH). Forbes reports that the businessman plans to sell alcohol on the local market and export it to Ukraine. It is noteworthy that at the end of 2023, Yevheniy Chernyak received a suspicion in financing Russian armed aggression.

According to Forbes, Chernyak has initiated contract bottling at the Canadian company Stillus Craft Spirits, located between Toronto and Ottawa. The first batch of whiskey, which will consist of 200,000 bottles, is planned for release by Global Spirits, chaired by the billionaire, on November 1, 2025. According to Chernyak, 50% of the production will remain in Canada, while the other 50% will be exported to other countries – Ukraine, Poland, Romania, and Israel. If the launch is successful, the second batch will total 400,000 bottles.

The businessman stated that by producing whiskey in Canada, he aims to target the low-price segment. The alcohol will be created at the Canadian family-owned production facility Stillus Craft Spirits. During the production of the first batch, Ukrainian technologists will be employed at the facility. Chernyak mentioned that he would bring bottles, labels, and closures from Ukraine since these components are more expensive in Canada.

This is not the first production Chernyak has launched since the onset of the full-scale invasion. Specifically, in June 2024, Electro Cable Group, one of the largest producers of non-ferrous metals in Ukraine, which includes the alcoholic magnate on its supervisory board, launched a cable manufacturing plant in Poland. The enterprise, located in the city of Zabrze, received an investment of 19 million euros.

It should be noted that the alcoholic holding Global Spirits includes the “Khortytsia” liquor and vodka plant in Zaporizhia and the Odesa cognac distillery. The holding's products are sold under brands such as “Khortytsia,” “Morosha,” “Pervak,” Blagoff, “Medovukha,” Shustoff, and “Mikado.” Forbes reports that in 2023, Global Spirits earned 8.4 billion UAH. The holding's products are exported to 87 countries worldwide.

In April 2024, Forbes reported that Global Spirits began producing energy drinks and bottled cocktails in Poland. Additionally, that same year, Yevheniy Chernyak launched mineral water production and invested in an enterprise in the Ternopil region.

According to Forbes, Yevheniy Chernyak ranked 19th in the 2021 list of the 100 wealthiest Ukrainians, with a net worth of $470 million. Chernyak also positions himself as a business coach and was the author of the Russian-language YouTube channel Big Money, where he notably interviewed pro-Russian politician Andriy Portnov, introducing him as “the best lawyer in Ukraine.” Chernyak currently resides in the USA. The Office of the Prosecutor General reported that the billionaire fled Ukraine just before the full-scale invasion.

In December 2023, the Security Service of Ukraine announced a suspicion against Chernyak for financing Russian armed aggression. It is alleged that in 2022, companies under the alcoholic magnate contributed approximately 6 billion UAH in taxes to the Russian budget. According to the SBU, Chernyak's companies located in Central Asia and the South Caucasus were purchasing industrial-scale alcohol from Russia. Chernyak referred to the SBU's suspicion as a “mistake.”

Additionally, in December 2023, Ukrainian Forbes reported that Global Spirits revoked its license to produce and sell vodka in Russia. Furthermore, journalists claimed that the holding exited the Russian market back in 2014. Prior to that, in 2012, Chernyak stated that Russia accounted for 70% of Global Spirits' profits.

OSINT researchers from Molfar established that the Chernyak family continued to conduct business with the occupiers even after 2014. Moreover, in 2022, the holding continued to distribute alcohol in Russia through the Cypriot company AMG-77 Investment Ltd. Global Spirits products are still sold in Russia under the brand “Tradition of Success.” However, Chernyak does not acknowledge that he has business operations in Russia.

In January 2025, Forbes and NV reported that Russian investigators had placed Chernyak on an international wanted list. According to the site, the alcoholic magnate is suspected of financing the Armed Forces of Ukraine – allegedly, he transferred 1.3 billion rubles (560 million UAH) to them.