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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
While rescuers in the Solomianskyi and Darnytskyi districts of Kyiv were pulling the bodies of Kyiv residents from the rubble, a few kilometers away, in an upscale restaurant on Pavlo Skoropadskyi Street, expensive champagne was flowing. Members of the High Council of Justice — the body that daily punishes judges for “unethical conduct outside of office” — gathered during working hours to celebrate the resignation of their colleague Dmytro Lukyanov.
This is reported by Sudovo-Yurydychna hazeta (Judicial-Legal Newspaper).
The morning of 20 August began in horror for every Kyiv resident. Russia’s massive attack on the capital lasted almost nine hours. When the first rays of sun broke through the thick smoke over ruined buildings in the Solomianskyi, Svyatoshynskyi and Darnytskyi districts, rescuers continued to clear rubble and search for people. According to official KMVA data, the number of dead rose to 15 people, among them children. The next day, 21 August, Kyiv declared a day of mourning.
But at the same time, when search-and-rescue operations and emergency work were underway at more than 10 locations, in the heart of the capital — at the upscale Italian restaurant “Mario Ristorante Italiano” — a completely different atmosphere prevailed. There, amid the wail of sirens and the echo of alarms still tearing through the airspace, a banquet began. The occasion was weighty: a former member of the High Council of Justice held a large celebration for his resignation. Active colleagues readily joined him, arriving in their cars in the middle of the workday.
This event is not just a display of moral blindness. It is a verdict on the system of double standards that the main body of judicial governance has built for years. The body that punishes ordinary judges for the smallest ethical missteps has shown a complete loss of its own moral compass.
Who attended the resignation celebration?
The banquet was organized to mark the end of Dmytro Lukyanov’s term, who was elected a member of the High Council of Justice in 2022 by the quota of the congress of representatives of higher legal education institutions and research institutions. His four-year term officially expired the day before, 19 August 2026.
Lukyanov decided to celebrate his resignation immediately, on 20 August. Despite the fact that it was a Thursday — an official workday when the HCJ should have been considering disciplinary complaints and resolving the fate of thousands of blocked court proceedings — the HCJ members moved together to the restaurant.
Among the guests arriving in luxury cars, key figures of the judiciary were recorded:
Hryhorii Usyk — chair of the High Council of Justice and a person who, given his position, should be one of the main exemplars of professional ethics and integrity for the entire judicial system. He was elected to the HCJ by the XX Congress of Judges of Ukraine on 16 August 2022. He arrived at the event in an official vehicle. The vehicle was captured in photo and video materials available to the editorial office.
Today Usyk heads the body responsible, among other things, for matters of judicial discipline and professional ethics. From the head of the HCJ, society reasonably expects not only control over other judges’ compliance with ethical standards, but also personal adherence to those standards.
Mykola Moroz — member of the HCJ, elected on 15 August 2022 by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine under the parliamentary quota. His powers were to expire in August 2026.
Tetiana Spiridonova — judge of the Khmelnytskyi Court of Appeal, elected a member of the HCJ on 11 March 2026 by the XX regular Congress of Judges of Ukraine. Only a few months ago she took the oath, pledging to perform her duties conscientiously, honestly and impartially and to observe professional ethics.
Oksana Kvasha — member of the HCJ, elected in November 2023 by the congress of representatives of higher legal education institutions and research institutions. Vitalii Makhinchuk — member of the HCJ, appointed in October 2025 by the President of Ukraine.
Also at the event were Yuliia Bokova, Tetiana Bondarenko, Olha Popikova and Olena Kovbii — HCJ members elected by the respective congresses in 2023 and 2026 years.
Roman Maselko was also recorded at the event — literally a few days after the end of his powers in the HCJ. So if for current members of the Council this meeting was during a workday, for Maselko it was already a reunion with former colleagues. His presence adds another touch to the event: formally he has already left the Council, but it seems he has not left its inner circle.
The presence of all the named persons is confirmed by photo and video footage. All materials were recorded and provided to the editorial office by colleagues and concerned citizens.
Menu amid sirens
While Kyiv residents were helping evacuate neighbors from partially destroyed entrances in Solomianska, tables were already set for guests at Mario.
The restaurant’s menu featured oysters costing 200–230 UAH each, antipasti with truffle honey — 770 UAH, veal carpaccio — up to 665 UAH, and Scottish salmon tartare — up to 665 UAH. Argentine ribeye — up to 2190 UAH per portion, and a fruit platter — nearly 2 thousand.
Most striking is the wine list: Cristal Louis Roederer — 34 800 UAH per bottle, and Veuve Clicquot — 9000 UAH.
Whether these exact items were ordered is a separate question that requires confirmation. These are only menu prices, not confirmation of actual orders.
But the selection and prices already give an idea of the level of the establishment and the format of the event. This list of dishes and alcohol during the shelling of the capital looks not simply like a resignation celebration, but like a moral distancing from the reality in which the country lives.
Where did HCJ members lose ethics and integrity?
Under the law, the High Council of Justice is an independent constitutional body tasked with forming an honest and highly professional corps of judges and ensuring adherence to professional ethics. However, the behavior of the Council’s own members directly contradicts the standards they apply to others.
Members of the Council are obliged, in their activities and outside them, to adhere to the ethical standards established for judges.
Let us turn to the HCJ’s own official decisions where they assessed judges’ “unethical behavior”:
On duties outside of office (Decision in the case of Judge Shymchyk R.V.):
In its decision the HCJ emphasized: “conduct — both during the administration of justice and outside of office — must meet standards that do not give rise to reasonable doubts about the honesty, independence and impartiality of the judiciary.” It also stated that “unethical behavior toward participants in proceedings, etc., leads to a decrease in authority, making such behavior incomprehensible to society.” Celebrating in a restaurant during the deaths of fellow citizens is precisely that kind of behavior that is absolutely “incomprehensible to society.”
On observance of working hours (Decision in the case of Judge Kihtenko S.O.)
The Third Disciplinary Chamber of the HCJ (in whose composition, incidentally, Dmytro Lukyanov himself previously signed) held a judge liable for absence from the workplace, noting: “systematic and groundless absence from the workplace during working hours... has the signs of intentional evasion of administering justice and is grounds for disciplinary sanction.” The HCJ emphasized that absence without valid reasons is “one of the most serious disciplinary offenses.” The question arises whether the presence of HCJ members in the restaurant during working hours was related to the performance of official duties and whether it was properly coordinated.
On public trust (Decision in the case of Judge Usatov D.D.)
The HCJ repeatedly indicated that a judge, and therefore an HCJ member, is obliged to “demonstrate and maintain high standards of conduct in any activity in order to strengthen public trust in the court” and to be “a model of decency outside professional activity.”
How does celebrating on a day of tragedy strengthen public trust?
These decisions expose both legal and moral contradictions: judges are held accountable for ethical violations, while HCJ members, who are meant to be exemplars of integrity, demonstrate contempt for basic standards of conduct.
Who paid for the banquet?
According to information obtained by the editorial office, the bill for the event may have been paid by Dmytro Lukyanov. If this information is confirmed, the issue becomes not only one of ethics but also a concrete question regarding compliance with anti-corruption legislation.
For current HCJ members, having their meal paid for by another person could potentially be considered receiving a gift. Article 23 of the Law of Ukraine “On Prevention of Corruption” sets restrictions on officials receiving gifts. Of course, the mere fact that someone else paid the restaurant bill does not automatically mean a corruption offense — the legal assessment depends on the specific circumstances, the cost of the hospitality and the status of the person who paid.
So there is a simple question that deserves a simple answer: who exactly paid the bill, for what amount and for whom?
If the hospitality was indeed paid for by a former HCJ member for his current colleagues, this is at least grounds to check whether such a situation complies with the legal gift restrictions.
Then the question is not only what was on the table, but also who paid for that table and which HCJ member will be the first to include this upscale meal in their declaration of integrity?
European standards: how do Western countries react to similar scandals?
In countries with developed democracies even much smaller ethical breaches lead to the immediate end of a political career and public condemnation. European officials understand that reputation is their main capital.
In the United Kingdom in 1998, two close friends of Prime Minister Tony Blair — trade and industry minister Peter Mandelson and millionaire Jeffrey Robinson — were forced to resign immediately. Mandelson had taken a private loan from Robinson for 627 000 dollars to buy a house at a low interest rate. Although illegality was not proven, Blair signed their resignations immediately to avoid even the shadow of doubt about his government’s integrity.
In Sweden, Deputy Prime Minister Mona Sahlin was at the center of the so-called “Toblerone scandal.” It turned out she had used a government credit card for personal purchases, including a Toblerone chocolate bar. Even though the money was returned, Sahlin withdrew her candidacy for prime minister and resigned. Later, in 2016, she left public life entirely after a scandal involving a falsified certificate for a bodyguard.
In France in 2019 the ecology minister and the second-ranking person in François de Rugy’s government resigned after an investigation by Mediapart. Journalists published photos of his lavish dinners with lobsters and expensive wine paid from the state budget under the guise of “working meetings.” De Rugy tried to defend himself, but public outrage forced him to leave the government.
Rotten at the top
Today Ukraine’s judicial system is operating on the brink of physical survival. There are more than 2100 judicial vacancies in the country’s courts, due to which millions of Ukrainians have been waiting for simple and lawful decisions for years because cases physically have no one to consider. Active judges are working at 200–300% of the normal workload.
And at the same time the High Council of Justice, which is supposed to save the system, fill it with honest personnel and act as a moral compass, is throwing parties during working hours in restaurants.
The behavior of HCJ members is no longer simply a question of professional ethics. Against the backdrop of the massive attack on Kyiv and people’s deaths, such demonstrative behavior looks like contempt for society, for the military and for Kyiv residents who that day were losing loved ones and clearing rubble.
How will these people look their fellow judges in the eye, whom they punish for unethical behavior? How do they plan to demand integrity from candidates if they themselves cannot resist free Cristal during working hours?
This event proves that judicial reform will not yield results until the very body meant to cleanse the system is itself truly purged. As the proverb says: fish rots from the head. And perhaps, before demanding “ethics” from ordinary regional judges, Ukraine should cleanse the High Council of Justice of such representatives.
Editorial note: The material was prepared based on materials and photos provided by colleagues and concerned citizens, HCJ decisions on disciplinary responsibility of judges (No. 1226/3dp/15-24 dated 24.04.2024, No. 486/0/15-25 dated 11.03.2025, No. 1623/1dp/15-21 dated 21.07.2021), the Law of Ukraine “On Prevention of Corruption,” the NACP report on gift limits, KMVA official data on the consequences of the shelling of Kyiv 20.08.2026 and European practice of political responsibility.
Author: Volodymyr Pravo
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "15 загиблих у Києві — і шампанське для ВРП: суддя Усик та його колеги святкували відставку Лук’янова у розпал робочого дня". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: HAB Media.
