On July 13, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Court (VAAS) handed down an in absentia sentence against former People's Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of the III–IX convocations Andrii Derkach to 15 years imprisonment with full confiscation of property and a three-year ban on holding state office. The sentence will take effect in 30 days if not appealed.
What the court established
According to the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), in 2020 Derkach received at least $567,000 from a Russian intelligence agency. In exchange for these funds, he was to discredit Ukraine on the international stage, worsen diplomatic relations with the United States, and complicate Ukraine's integration into the EU and NATO.
The investigation established a broader timeframe: during 2019–2022 Derkach regularly met in Moscow with representatives of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces — the GRU. According to an LB.ua correspondent, the prosecution proved these meetings through witness testimony, documentary evidence, and expert conclusions that confirmed both the fact of fund transfers and the subversive nature of his actions. The defense lawyers insisted on the inadmissibility of some evidence and violations during the pretrial investigation.
"Andrii Derkach and other Russian agents are using manipulation and deception to try to influence elections in the United States and in other countries around the world"
— U.S. State Secretary Steven Mnuchin, September 2020, upon introducing personal sanctions against Derkach
How the scheme worked
The public instrument of the scheme were press conferences. In May–July 2020, Derkach released recordings of purported conversations between Petro Poroshenko and Joe Biden—then a candidate for U.S. president. According to the investigation, the aim was to influence American elections and undermine U.S. support for Ukraine.
In parallel, according to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Derkach organized a network of private security companies that were meant to facilitate the rapid capture of Ukraine by Russian armed forces. In June 2022, the SBU shut down the network and detained his former assistant Ihor Kolesnikov. The GRU allocated 3 to 4 million dollars every few months to this infrastructure.
Who is Derkach
Andrii Derkach is the son of former SBU head Leonid Derkach (1998–2001), a graduate of the Russian FSB academy. He first entered the Verkhovna Rada in 1998 and was elected nine consecutive times. In 2021, the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) imposed sanctions against him; in 2022, a U.S. federal court charged him with financial crimes. In 2023, Zelenskyy stripped him of Ukrainian citizenship, after which the Council revoked his mandate.
Today Derkach is a senator of the Russian Federation Council from Astrakhan Oblast (as of September 2024), a member of the Defense and Security Committee. In December 2025, he received the rank of Hero of Russia. According to political analyst Petro Oleshchuk, Derkach's public elevation in status in Russia is a signal to Moscow's current agents in Ukraine: betrayal will be rewarded.
What comes next
The sentence is in absentia — actual punishment is only possible in case of extradition or Derkach's return to Ukraine, which is unlikely under current circumstances. The practical question is: will the VAAS verdict affect international legal mechanisms—in particular, assets associated with Derkach in third countries—and will Ukraine initiate a freeze request through Interpol or G7 partners?
