Case description
On May 22, 2024, the NABU reported suspicion to the former deputy head of the Presidential Office Andrii Smyrnov of illegal enrichment in the amount of UAH 15.7 million.
According to investigators, between 2020 and 2022, Andrii Smyrnov acquired two cars (a Mercedes-Benz and a Volkswagen), two motorcycles (a Honda and a BMW), three parking spaces in Kyiv, an apartment in a prestigious residential complex in Lviv, and a land plot in Zakarpattia. The total value of this property amounted to UAH 17.1 million, while the official income of the former official was about UAH 1.3 million. Thus, according to law enforcement officers, the difference between the value of the acquired assets and Smyrnov’s declared funds is UAH 15.7 million.
Smyrnov registered most of the property in his brother’s name but retained the right to fully dispose of it. In addition, the former deputy head of the Presidential Office initially registered the Honda motorcycle to a friend, and later re-registered it under his own name.
In addition, in April 2025, the NABU and SAPO informed Smyrnov that he was suspected of committing new crimes. Law enforcement officers obtained evidence that likely indicates the laundering of UAH 6.5 million through the construction of a house on the Black Sea coast. In addition, Smyrnov allegedly did not refuse a $100,000 bribe to cancel unfavorable tender results for Odesa developer Ihor Chernyshev, owner of the Chernyshev Group company, who carried out the construction.
These facts were documented, in particular, in the correspondence between Smyrnov and Chernyshev, in which the latter allegedly offered to help his company win a tender for the repair of a stadium in the city of Artsyz. In exchange, the entrepreneur proposed “to return the favor by a $100K coast setup” to the former official. Notes were also found on the phone of Chernyshev’s son, the commercial director of his father’s companies, mentioning Smyrnov as the person who covered up their activities and organized everything.
The NABU and SAPO believe that Smyrnov possessed unjustified cash assets, including UAH 6.5 million, which he chose to legalize by financing the construction of over 300 square meters of residential property. To do so, he allegedly enlisted the help of already mentioned Ihor Chernyshev, who controls part of the Odesa coastline and is actively developing it. The newly built residence—reportedly used by the high-ranking official—was initially registered to a separate company. However, after he was served with a notice of suspicion for illicit enrichment in May 2024, the property was quietly re-registered to a trustee named Milman, thus re-legalizing the funds, according to the prosecution.
Andrii Smyrnov's actions are classified under Article 368-5, Part 1; Article 209, Parts 1 and 2; and Article 368, Part 4 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. In addition, Odesa developer Ihor Chernyshev, who allegedly offered unlawful benefits to the top official, was also served a notice of suspicion under Article 369, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
On the eve of the first suspicions, on March 29, 2024, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi dismissed Andrii Smyrnov from the post of deputy head of the Presidential Office, without stating the reasons for the decision.
Smyrnov is known not only for his former position in the Presidential Office but also for his wide network of connections with other officials, some of whom he previously defended as a lawyer. These include Olena Lukash, former Minister of Justice under Yanukovych; Oleksandr Yefremov, accused of creating the LPR; Hennadii Korban, a high-profile businessman; and even the mediocre judge Mykola Chaus, who was convicted by the Anti-Corruption Court to whom Smyrnov reportedly advised to relocate to southern Ukraine and assisted with his security.
After the Revolution of Dignity in 2014, Smyrnov ran for Parliament, promising voters he would hold officials at various levels accountable for non-compliance with and violations of Ukrainian law. Although he failed to win a parliamentary seat, the following year he was elected to the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council as a candidate from the UKROP party.
