Why a 6 Million Hryvnia Bail Was Set for Former Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Stefanishyna: Mercedes, 4 Apartments, and Interference in the NABU Head Selection

On 4 August, anti-corruption agencies announced suspicions of illicit enrichment and false asset declaration against Olga Stefanishyna, who until recently was Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, and before that served as Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and as Minister of Justice.

According to the investigation, since 2022 she spent more than 13 million hryvnias than she officially had. In particular, investigators say Stefanishyna secretly bought and had two apartments in a new residential complex in Kyiv registered in a friend’s name, rented another apartment in the city center, paid for her mother’s medical treatment, and purchased plane tickets worth 1,8 million hryvnias.

The investigation also alleges the official did not declare a premium-class Mercedes-Benz and another apartment she lived in during 2024. Stefanishyna herself considers the suspicion unfounded. On 6 August, the High Anti-Corruption Court set her bail at 6 million hryvnias.

Suspilne explains how, according to the investigation, the former ambassador concealed her assets, influenced the selection of heads of law enforcement agencies, and how she asked the court not to set bail for her.

Concealment of two apartments

In 23 July, Volodymyr Zelenskyy summoned Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko and unexpectedly offered her a different position — Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States. At that time the embassy had already been headed for a year by Olga Stefanishyna, who before that was Vice Prime Minister for European Integration and also Minister of Justice. Svyrydenko resigned, but refused the embassy post.

In 30 July, Stefanishyna said at a press conference in Washington that Zelenskyy had not asked her to resign. But already on 3 August she submitted a resignation letter “for personal reasons.” The next day NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office announced suspicions of illicit enrichment and false asset declaration against her. For some reason they did this secretly. Usually anti-corruption agencies immediately report publicly about suspicions against officials of that level. This time journalists learned about the suspicion the next day, when the High Anti-Corruption Court began selecting a preventive measure for Stefanishyna and the anti-corruption group “Center for Combating Corruption” reported it.

Former Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States and former Vice Prime Minister for European Integration Olga Stefanishyna with lawyers during a session of the High Anti-Corruption Court in Kyiv on 5 August 2026. Suspilne News/Ivan Antypenko

At the hearing, prosecutor Vitalii Rybalkin stated that since 2024 Stefanishyna spent more than 13,9 million hryvnias than she officially had. The most expensive purchases, according to investigators, were two one-room apartments in the Faina Town residential complex in the Nyvky neighborhood of Kyiv. According to the prosecutor, Stefanishyna handled their search and paperwork not personally but through a close friend named Tetyana. Their children attend the same class. As evidence, the prosecutor presented the court with correspondence between the friends. According to investigators, in the chat the official explained over several weeks which exact apartments she wanted. In 2025 Tetyana bought two one-room apartments for 6,9 million hryvnias and registered them in her name. Then, according to the investigation, she spent about 4 million hryvnias more on renovations.

In the chat fragments quoted by the prosecutor, the friends also discuss buying a house outside Kyiv for 550 thousand dollars. Tetyana negotiated with the realtor and relayed the content of those talks to Stefanishyna. Through her friend, the official proposed that the homeowners sell the house for two apartments in Faina Town plus 250 thousand, but they never reached a deal.

Another portion of the unexplained funds, according to the investigation, was spent by Stefanishyna on renting an apartment on Yaroslaviv Val in central Kyiv. The prosecutor claims she lived there from January to April 2024 and paid 1300 dollars per month. According to the investigation, she arranged the rental not personally but through an assistant named Dmytro. The apartment was registered in his name; he paid the rent and utilities with money given to him by his boss. The prosecutor says detectives accessed his chats with the apartment owner, which confirm this.

Olga Stefanishyna during a break in a session of the HACC in Kyiv on 5 August 2026. Suspilne News/Ivan Antypenko

“I am not supposed to think for you”

Another portion of the funds that exceed Stefanishyna’s income, the investigation says, is 1,8 million hryvnias in cash spent on plane tickets. This concerns her flights while working in government and as ambassador. According to the prosecutor, the Cabinet later reimbursed those expenses — but Stefanishyna never withdrew cash from the account to which the reimbursement was paid. Therefore investigators added this amount to the sum they say she illicitly acquired.

And another part of that amount was money for Stefanishyna’s mother’s medical treatment. The court considered that episode in a closed hearing at the defense’s request.

In addition to illicit enrichment, the former ambassador is also suspected of false asset declaration. In particular, investigators say Stefanishyna did not declare a Mercedes-Benz GLC 220d. Officially it is owned by the same assistant Dmytro who arranged the apartment rental. In 2021 he bought the vehicle for 43 thousand dollars, but according to the investigation, Stefanishyna used it since then. The investigation supports this with surveillance camera footage and correspondence between her and Dmytro.

Also, according to the prosecutor, the official did not declare her parents’ apartment in the Lvivska Ploshcha residential complex in the city center, to which she moved in April 24. This property was the subject of earlier investigations by Bihus.info and hromadske. Journalists believed Stefanishyna’s parents, who own a chain of driving schools in Odesa, didn’t have the funds to buy this apartment. Stefanishyna told investigators she believes her parents had the money and confirmed she lived in that apartment.

The High Anti-Corruption Court selects a preventive measure for former Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Olga Stefanishyna. Kyiv, 5 August 2026. Suspilne News/Ivan Antypenko

Olga Stefanishyna at a hearing of the High Anti-Corruption Court. Kyiv, 5 August 2026. Suspilne News/Ivan Antypenko

The prosecutor asked the court to set bail at 13,3 million hryvnias, arguing that otherwise she might flee, influence witnesses, or otherwise obstruct the proceedings. He justified these risks by saying that as Minister of Justice Stefanishyna interfered in the contests to select heads of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention, the Bureau of Economic Security, and even NABU. The prosecution reached this conclusion after studying her correspondence with Oleksandr Bukhanievych — then the Ministry of Justice’s secretary of state and thus her subordinate. The prosecutor quoted select chat fragments at the hearing.

From the correspondence, Bukhanievych appeared to control the course of the competitions, and Stefanishyna told him whom to support. First she determined who should be on the selection commission, and then through Bukhanievych instructed commission members under her influence how and for whom to vote.

In particular, during the contest for NABU head in 2022 Stefanishyna sent Bukhanievych a screenshot of her correspondence with the head of the selection commission listing candidates.

“Do what you want, but I need 60 and 62. Postpone the meeting. I am not supposed to think for you,” the prosecutor quoted Stefanishyna’s message.

According to him, at number 60 on the list was Liudmyla Suhak, who at that time worked

at the Asset Recovery and Management Agency, and since November 2025 has been acting Minister of Justice. 62 was the head of the Antimonopoly Committee, Pavlo Kyrylenko. Ultimately, the contest was won not by them but by the current head of NABU, Semen Kryvonos. And Kyrylenko in 2024 also received a suspicion from NABU — also for illicit enrichment.

Head of the Antimonopoly Committee Pavlo Kyrylenko (center) during a court hearing. Kyiv, 27 August 2024. Suspilne News/Lilia Honcharuk

“Mythical money”

Stefanishyna was represented at court by three lawyers. They believe the suspicion is unfounded. In their version, the official did not actually buy the apartments in Faina Town; her friend Tetyana bought them for herself. The lawyers noted that Tetyana worked as a top manager at various companies and had funds for such a purchase. According to the defense, besides the Faina Town properties, Tetyana owns 5 more apartments, which “confirms her high income that she invests in real estate.”

The lawyers argue that the correspondence between Stefanishyna and Tetyana does not prove their client’s guilt. “The prosecutor read isolated messages for several hours, ripped out of context, adding his own assumptions and inventions by 90 percent to fill in missing content,” one of the lawyers said. In their version, the friends only “consulted on personal and business matters and shared life events and decisions about purchasing property.”

Stefanishyna’s lawyers noted that the sum the investigation says she illicitly acquired consists of various unrelated expenses, most of which she did not make. Regarding the rented apartment on Yaroslaviv Val, the lawyers said the lease was signed not by Stefanishyna but by her assistant, so he paid the owner. The defense did not comment on the fact that Stefanishyna actually lived there, not her assistant.

The lawyers said the purchase of plane tickets cannot be considered illicit enrichment because those were work trip expenses ultimately reimbursed by the Cabinet. “In the absence of any evidence that my client is related to the Faina Town apartments, the prosecution artificially inflates the charges by adding other expenses that have nothing to do with acquiring illicit assets,” the lawyer complained.

According to them, the allegations of false declaration are also unproven. The lawyers claim Stefanishyna declared living in her parents’ apartment. As for the car, the defense says the prosecution only confirmed the official drove it for 15 days. A vehicle is reported in a declaration if it is used for at least half a year.

The judge announces the decision on the preventive measure for former Ambassador of Ukraine to the U.S. and official Olga Stefanishyna, who was suspected of illicit enrichment while working in government. Kyiv, 6 August 2026. Suspilne News/Ivan Antypenko

Stefanishyna did not comment on the content of the suspicion. She only said she does not consider it justified and insisted the bail amount is unaffordable for her. Barely holding back tears, she said that after returning to Ukraine she “incurred a number of serious expenses” for lawyers and family.

“With the mythical money that the prosecution believes I might have, I cannot provide the bail amount in the proposed sum from my own funds. And even if I find a way, I will not be able to provide for my family’s living,” she said.

On the morning of 6 August, investigative judge Viktor Nohachevskyi announced the decision to set Stefanishyna’s bail at 6 million hryvnias — less than half of what the prosecution requested. She must pay this amount within five days, otherwise the prosecution may seek a harsher preventive measure.

“I don’t have 13, nor 10, nor six million. But of course I will look for them in order to have the possibility to post bail,” Stefanishyna told journalists after the court hearing.

The former ambassador has 10 days to appeal the decision to the appellate chamber. She told journalists she has not yet decided whether she will do so.

Olga Stefanishyna after the HACC hearing and the determination of her preventive measure. Kyiv, 5 August 2026. Suspilne News/Ivan Antypenko