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29 million in accounts, hotel business and offshore $40 million of her ex-husband: who became Lyashko’s first deputy minister
On 4 November 2026, the Cabinet appointed Alla Kotvytska as the first deputy to Health Minister Viktor Lyashko. The former rector of the National University of Pharmacy received one of the key positions in the Ministry of Health. Behind her academic career are multimillion assets, a transferred hotel business, and ties to her ex-husband Ihor Kotvytskyi, a former People’s Front MP and partner of Arsen Avakov, who was named in investigations about moving $40 million to Panama, the tobacco business, and transporting millions in cash across the border, reports Bankova Mail.
Kotvytska is a Doctor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, a professor, served as first vice-rector since 2014, and since November 2017 has been rector of NUF. In September 2025 the university leadership passed to Oleksandr Kukhtenko. According to the NACP declaration for 2025, Kotvytska has 29,34 million UAH in monetary assets, $183 thousand and €26,67 thousand, including 18,34 million in Sense Bank and 10 million in Ukrsibbank. Also declared are 9 real estate properties totaling 901,3 m², three plots of about 0,3 ha, a Range Rover 2019 year valued at 4,24 million UAH. A year earlier — 10 properties totaling 996,5 m², 30,41 million UAH, $123,4 thousand and €21,69 thousand.
Income for 2025 year — 10,69 million UAH: university salary 710 thousand, part-time work 73,7 thousand, bank interest 4,06 million, sale of real estate 2,19 million, movable property 1,7 million. Another 1,83 million UAH — a gift from daughter Violetta, who also gifted her mother a Range Rover Evoque 2021 year.
A separate story is the former spouses’ business. In the declaration for 2016 year Alla listed 4450 shares of the Chychykov hotel worth 445 thousand UAH and a beneficial interest in Kharbudinvest (33066754). According to the registry history, she owned 44,5% of Hotel Chychykov (30990896), but in 2017–2018 she ceased to be among the beneficiaries. Daughter Violetta headed the hotel company for several months in 2017.
Now 99% of Hotel Chychykov is controlled by Energy Activ, 1% by Investor-Naftogaz, with the ultimate beneficiary through the corporate chain listed as Ihor Kotvytskyi. The hotel itself owns 100% of Kharbudinvest, which owns 100% of Chychykov Hotel-Service (38383932). The last company changed its founders in September 2025. Registries record transfers of corporate rights but do not prove that Alla retained hidden control.
The official’s ex-husband Ihor Kotvytskyi has been Avakov’s long-time partner in the Investor group. In 2016, NABU gained access to bank documents in a case about transferring $40 million of Panamanian Kingston Group S.A. through Swiss Falcon Private Bank. The operation involved Krim Petroleum Company, Tiway FSU B.V., assignment of a multimillion debt for $1, transfers through Sberbank and the state Oschadbank. Initially the amount was missing from the deputy’s declaration. One proceeding was closed by the prosecutor’s office in September 2016 for lack of a crime.
Additionally, hromadske linked Kotvytskyi to Ihor Terekhov and Kharkiv’s tobacco kiosk chain Kiset, and the journalists of Skhemy examined his ties to the Avakov family’s business and the history of the Interior Ministry backpack procurement.
In March 2022 Anastasiia Kotvytska (Kucher), Ihor’s subsequent wife, crossed the border with her mother through the Vylok checkpoint. According to Ukrainska Pravda, Ukrainian customs did not conduct an inspection, while in Hungary they found and declared $28,8 million and €1,3 million in cash. The State Bureau of Investigation registered case No. 62022140050000058 on 20 March 2022, the SBU checked the customs officers’ actions. Ihor Kotvytskyi disputed the published accusations. Alla Kotvytska was not directly related to this episode.
Now the former spouse of a figure in major financial investigations has gained influence over state pharmaceutical policy and regulation of the drug market. Alla Kotvytska’s personal involvement in the described corruption schemes has not been proven. At the same time, her multimillion assets, the history of transferring corporate rights, and remaining family ties require checking for potential conflicts of interest when making decisions at the Ministry of Health.
Unbelievable, but true....
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