The HACC sentenced fugitive former President Viktor Yanukovych to fifteen years’ imprisonment, finding him guilty of unlawfully acquiring a 17.5-hectare state forest-fund land plot in the “Sukholuchchia” area valued at more than UAH 22 million. In addition, Yanukovych was barred from holding positions in state authorities and local self-government bodies for three years, and all of his property was confiscated.

Yanukovych’s accomplice, Viktor Marintsev, was also found guilty. He was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment, barred from holding certain positions for three years, and subjected to confiscation of all property belonging to him. At the same time, the court released him from serving the sentence due to the expiration of the statute of limitations for criminal liability.

These events took place in 2007, when Viktor Yanukovych was Prime Minister of Ukraine. According to the investigative materials, Yanukovych, acting in prior collusion with other persons, unlawfully registered under a company he controlled—Dom Lesnyka LLC—a state forest-fund land plot with a total area of nearly 17.5 hectares, belonging to the Dnipro–Teteriv State Forestry and Hunting Enterprise, located within the territory of the Sukholuchchia Village Council, Vyshhorod District, Kyiv Region. At the time, the land plot was valued at more than UAH 22 million.

With Yanukovych’s assistance, the land plot was unlawfully transferred from the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to the administration of the Kyiv Regional State Administration. Subsequently, persons close to the defendants applied to the Kyiv Regional State Administration for the allocation of land plots of up to 1 hectare each. They later applied to change the designated purpose of the land in order to enable its further transfer to the above-mentioned LLC. Thereafter, during 2009–2011, Yanukovych used a hotel-and-restaurant complex built on the relevant land. The complex, together with the hunting grounds surrounding the land plot, was leased to Kedr Hunters and Fishers Society NGO, which was controlled by the defendant.

The investigation in this case began in 2014. Initially, it was conducted by the Special Investigations Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office; since 2019, it has been handled by the NABU and the SAPO. According to the investigation, in 2014–2015 the defendants crossed the state border and did not return to Ukraine thereafter. They are believed to be in the Russian Federation. All of them were placed on the international wanted list, and special (in absentia) proceedings were conducted in respect of them.

Yanukovych’s actions were classified under Article 191(5) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

In addition to Yanukovych, the case also involved other alleged accomplices, including Oleksandr Fainitskyi, former head of the Mezhyhiria servicing company KyivUniversalService LLC, as well as Tetiana Fainitska and Viktor Marintsev. They fled Ukraine in the direction of Russia. The HACC closed the criminal proceedings against the Fainitskys, releasing them from criminal liability due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.

Yanukovych also appears in another proceeding concerning the alleged misappropriation of Mezhyhiria. In that matter, his actions are classified under Article 191(5), Article 209(3), and Article 368(5) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

By applying the provisions of the Law of Ukraine on Sanctions, the HACC ensured that Yanukovych’s flight did not allow him to avoid recovery of his assets for the benefit of Ukraine, including the hotel-and-restaurant complex.