An investigative journalism report revealed how former Deputy Head of the Administration of President Yanukovych, Andriy Portnov, and associated officials influenced the appointment of judges and maintained control over Ukraine’s judicial system.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Based on an analysis of archival documents from the High Council of Justice and the Verkhovna Rada from 2009 to 2014, a scheme of influence over the judicial system was established. A key moment was the election of Portnov and Serhiy Kivalov as members of the High Council of Justice at the congress in Odesa in May 2009.
“The All-Ukrainian Legal Society” then declared the congress in Odesa illegitimate.”
Appointment of Relatives and Close Associates to Judicial Positions
The investigation uncovered numerous instances of appointments to judicial positions of individuals connected to Portnov. In particular, appointed were: the brother of his ex-wife, Andriy Sekirskyi – judge of the Economic Court of Luhansk Region, sister Olena Isayeva – judge of the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv, and former assistant Tetiana Skotochok – judge of the Kyiv District Administrative Court.
Influence on Judicial Decisions
Particular attention was drawn to the judges of the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv and the Kyiv Court of Appeals, who most frequently handled cases involving Portnov’s claims. Among them were Serhiy Vovk, Svitlana Volkova, Iryna Lytvynova, Oleksiy Sokolov, and Tetiana Ilieva. In most cases, decisions were made in favor of the former official.
It was also established that some judges who ruled in favor of Portnov had previously received support from him as a member of the High Council of Justice when considering complaints about their activities.
At the Kyiv Court of Appeals, the most cases involving Portnov were handled by judges Maksym Onishchuk, Liubov Polyvach, Viktoriia Shebueva, and Hanna Kryzhanivska, also making decisions in his favor.
It is worth noting that since December 2021, Portnov has been under U.S. sanctions due to his influence on the judicial system. On May 21, 2025, he was shot in Spain.