MP Odarchenko flees abroad amid corruption charges -reports
Source: Anti-Corruption Action Center
Ukrainian MP Andriy Odarchenko of the “Servant of the People” party may have fled Ukraine, according to Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s (SAP) Office.
The news came from one of SAP prosecutors during a court hearing on Wednesday. “There is operational information indicating he is abroad. We had scheduled his questioning today. He had known it and, likely anticipating the upcoming debates, final statements, and verdict, decided not to wait,” added the SAP prosecutor
She alleged that Odarchenko may have left the country through the Zakarpattia region as he has good relations with former regional governor Viktor Mykyta,
The prosecutor filed a motion to seize Odarchenko’s bail and place him on an international wanted list.
Odarchenko’s defense called the motion premature, arguing that his no-show could be for legitimate reasons, though they admitted they didn’t know anything about the lawmaker’s whereabouts. The judge of the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) said that the court will review the motion for seizing bail and putting the MP on the wanted list on September 19.
Odarchenko had reportedly skipped the parliamentary sessions for the previous two days prior to the court hearing.
Earlier released on bail of 15 million hryvnias, the lammaker was facing trial after he attempted to bribe officials with $50,000 to secure a state contract for the renovation of one of the univesities.
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During the GLOBSEC Defence Forum 2026 in Prague, representatives of “Steel Front”, an initiative by Rinat Akhmetov, discussed with NATO delegations, military officials, and representatives of the European defense industry the lessons learned from Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
After the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine witnessed an unprecedented wave of private support for the army. Citizens, big businesses, charitable foundations, and international philanthropists began financing the country’s defense alongside state assistance provided by international partners. Estimates of total private contributions range from tens to hundreds of billions of hryvnias. However, determining the exact amount remains difficult. In many cases, companies combine military aid, humanitarian programs, tax payments, social spending, and employee support in their reporting.
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