Former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba Predicted to Get a Post on the NSDC Amid SAP Lawsuit Over Property Worth 5 Million Hryvnias

Former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba Predicted to Get a Post on the NSDC Amid SAP Lawsuit Over Property Worth 5 Million Hryvnias

Ukraine is experiencing a personnel shuffle that began after the resignation of Yuliia Svyrydenko’s government, intensified by protests after the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. The result has been rather strange decisions, such as appointing Rustem Umerov head of the SSR.

This was reported by the portal "Komentari."

Another sign of this staffing crisis could be the possible entry of former Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration Oleksiy Kuleba into the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

From municipal worker to deputy prime minister

A native of Kyiv, Oleksiy Kuleba had an unremarkable biography until 36 years old, which included studies, teaching and civic activities, and a very small business. In 2019 he became director of the Department of City Improvement of the KMDA, although all his experience in the utilities sector was limited to being an advisor to the director of the municipal enterprise "Pleso." A year later Kuleba became the first deputy to Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko on local self-government issues. In 2022–2023 he twice headed the Kyiv regional administration—first the civil administration, and later the military administration.

Kuleba rose to a new level of power in January 2023, becoming deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, from where in September 2024 he left to become Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine — Minister for Communities and Territories Development. He served in the Cabinet under two prime ministers for 22 months, but the renewed Cabinet had no place for him.

However, at the beginning of August information emerged about his possible appointment to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, reported by two sources. According to Ukrainska Pravda and MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak, Kuleba’s presence at the presentation of the new NSDC secretary Ihor Klymenko was not accidental. The deputy prime minister allegedly has been prepared for the post of deputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.

May not get into the new Cabinet or the NSDC because of corruption over 5 million hryvnias

However, a corruption cloud could work against Kuleba’s possible appointment: it has followed the former official and he has effectively been on trial since June. It was likely this criminal case that prevented him from entering a third consecutive government roster.

On 17 June, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office announced that it has asked the court to recognize as unjustified assets acquired by the Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine — Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine Oleksiy Kuleba.

Thus, the SAP prosecutor, based on NABU materials, filed a claim with the High Anti-Corruption Court to declare unjustified and recover into the state’s revenue assets totaling almost 5 million hryvnias, acquired by the Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine — Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine Oleksiy Kuleba (the position at the time of filing the claim). The claim is motivated by allegations that in 2021, while serving as first deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration, the official, through his sister, concluded preliminary sale-purchase agreements for an apartment and a parking space in Kyiv. In 2023, while serving as Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, the official executed the sale-purchase agreements for those properties, their state registration, and contracts for services related to the apartment and parking space, involving his driver in the process.

"An analysis of the official incomes and expenses of A. Kuleba and his family established that they did not have sufficient legal income to purchase these assets. In light of the above, the prosecutor filed a claim with the court to recognize as unjustified and recover from the nominal owner assets whose lawful origin raises reasonable doubt, into the state’s revenue," the press service of the SAP of Ukraine reported.

The official himself told Suspilne: "Throughout my public activity I acted openly, did not hide my income, property, or other information subject to declaration, and all necessary information was reflected in declarations in the manner prescribed by law and is publicly available."

As a result, on 17 June the High Anti-Corruption Court accepted the SAP’s arguments and imposed an arrest on an apartment with an area of 109,9 square meters (worth 4 million 407 thousand hryvnias) and a parking space of 14,4 square meters (worth 520 thousand hryvnias).

According to the SAP, Kuleba signed a preliminary agreement to purchase the apartment (likely at the construction stage of the residential building) and the parking space in May 2021, and the final agreement was executed in October 2023. As a trusted person the official used his sister, and acted through proxies—his driver and his wife.

According to SAP calculations, Kuleba himself and his wife Halyna Dmytrychenko-Kuleba earned 764 247,66 hryvnias over 2021 years, while the difference between that amount and the cost of the assets amounted to 4 million 926 990 hryvnias. Thus, this falls under the definition of illicit enrichment.

Notably, both real estate objects appear in the deputy prime minister’s own declaration. Reporting his material status for 2025, the deputy prime minister listed the apartment and parking space as belonging to Nadiia Andrianova, which he and his family had the right to use. It is likely that Nadiia Andrianova is the official’s sister—at least in this capacity she is mentioned in court documents.

Interestingly, in the analytics service YouControl Nadiia Andrianova is engaged in business, registered as a sole proprietor with activity in "advertising agencies." But she became an entrepreneur on 30 November 2023, i.e., 5 weeks after purchasing the apartment, and 2,5 years after the preliminary housing purchase agreement. In other words, where Nadiia Andrianova had 5 million hryvnias in 2021–2023 to buy real estate is completely unclear.

It should be noted that it was likely this scandal that erupted in June around Kuleba’s assets that prevented him, after the resignation of Yuliia Svyrydenko’s Cabinet, from remaining in the government. Conversely, the opportunity to become deputy secretary of the NSDC could serve as a reprieve from potential criminal prosecution.

However, beyond the "sister of Oleksiy Kuleba" case and assets worth 5 million hryvnias, the former deputy prime minister may face another case involving the "mother of Oleksiy Kuleba" and an apartment worth 8 million hryvnias.

A gift from his mother — a luxury studio apartment worth 8 million in the Pecherskyi district

Interestingly, on 15 May 2025 Oleksiy Kuleba filed a declaration of significant changes in his property status, stating a non-monetary gift of almost 8 million hryvnias from Iryna Kuleba. It concerned an apartment in Kyiv of almost 65 "square meters," which he received on 8 May.

According to sources "Komentari" spoke with among city realtors, such an apartment is an example of elite housing for the capital, but inexpensive.

"65 square meters for 8 million — that’s definitely elite housing, most likely a studio apartment, although a two-room is possible depending on the project. In the elite housing segment this is inexpensive now. The housing itself may be located in Podil, Obolon, near parks, or along Beresteiskyi Avenue," the sources told "Komentari."

Note that almost 8 million hryvnias for an apartment of 65 square meters implies a price of 1 per square meter of 123 thousand hryvnias or roughly 2750 dollars today. According to data from the real estate portal Dom RIA, the apartment gifted by the ex-deputy prime minister’s mother is most likely located in the Pecherskyi district of the capital, where the average price per square meter of housing is about 3100 dollars.

For example, in that same Pecherskyi district for 7,9 million hryvnias one can buy a 2-room apartment of 63,5 square meters on the 5 floor on Knyaziv Ostrovskykh Street, though in an older building. A bit more expensive — 8,5 million hryvnias — are newer but 1-room apartments in the "Alter Ego" and "Aristocrat" residential complexes.

All this raises the question — where did the official’s mother get the money for such expensive purchases and gifts to her son, and whether this is explained by the same scheme of purchasing housing through another relative, now the mother rather than the sister, and its subsequent legalization through a gift contract?

Officially, Oleksiy Kuleba’s assets are quite modest. Thus, of 10 real estate objects, he personally owns 393 square meters of land, 50% of that same apartment from his mother for 8 million hryvnias (the remaining 50% belongs to his wife Halyna Dmytrychenko-Kuleba) and 25% of an apartment of 87,7 "square meters." His wife Halyna owns 1520 square meters of land, a garage, a residential house of 376,5 square meters and 25% shares in 2 other apartments. The official’s daughters — Maryana and Khrystyna — also have shares.

In 2025 year Oleksiy Kuleba earned 1 million 482 thousand hryvnias in salary, and his wife about 4,2 million hryvnias, of which 2 million 981 thousand came from income of her sole proprietorship in the legal services field and 63 730 hryvnias from the sale of electricity from her solar power plant. Note that the minister’s wife only started her business in October 2023. The minister personally holds 17 900 dollars, 14 700 euros and 474 thousand hryvnias. His wife has 20 000 dollars, 3496 euros and 224 thousand hryvnias.

Even to buy a MAZDA SG-60 for 1 million 918 thousand in May 2025 the minister’s wife took a loan of 1 million 93 thousand hryvnias, of which she repaid 421 765 hryvnias. Halyna Dmytrychenko-Kuleba is building apartments of 40 square meters in the Ivano-Frankivsk region.

If Oleksiy Kuleba fails to prove that he is a significant and necessary part of the power vertical, at least in the NSDC or any other state authority, he risks the fate of former ambassador to the U.S. Olga Stefanishyn. Immediately after her dismissal NABU took up her case, accusing her of illicit enrichment and false asset declarations. The case immediately reached court with asset arrest or bail.