On March 19, 2026, the HACC found MP Liudmyla Marchenko and her assistant Anastasiia Kolesnik guilty of trading in influence. According to the court, in exchange for a bribe, they promised to have two male volunteers of conscription age entered into the Shliakh system so they could later leave the country.

The court sentenced Marchenko to two years’ imprisonment. It also imposed an additional penalty of a three-year ban on holding positions in state authorities and local self-government bodies.

Kolesnik was likewise sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, along with an additional three-year ban on holding positions in organizations involved in processing permits for crossing the border.

During closing arguments, the prosecutor said that Marchenko and Kolesnik had received an undue benefit for influencing a decision by persons authorized to perform state functions. He asked the court to find both defendants guilty of offenses under Article 28(2) and Article 369-2(2) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and to sentence them to five years in prison. He also asked the court to replace their interim measures with pretrial detention pending the entry of the verdict into force.

The defense, by contrast, asked the court to acquit Marchenko and Kolesnik. It argued that the actions of the accused did not constitute a crime and that they had exerted no influence over any decision-making. 

In her final statement, Anastasiia Kolesnik said she had already fully expressed her position during the debate, had pursued no unlawful intent, and asked the court to support her and her lawyers’ position.

For her part, Liudmyla Marchenko used her final statement to focus on the charitable work of her foundation, speaking about assistance to children and the large sums spent on their treatment. Marchenko stressed that it was deeply regrettable that the foundation had suffered major reputational losses as a result of the proceedings in this case. Speaking about Anastasiia Kolesnik, the MP said she also felt sorry for her and was convinced that her assistant would not have committed any unlawful acts “if not for provocation by law enforcement bodies.”

As previously reported, according to the prosecution, Liudmyla Marchenko and Anastasiia Kolesnik promised two men, in exchange for a bribe, to influence officials at the Kyiv Regional Military Administration and have them entered into the Shliakh system as volunteers so they could later travel abroad. The investigation established two episodes in which the MP and her assistant allegedly received an undue benefit: the first in the amount of USD 6,000 and the second USD 5,300.