How Deputies Taras Batenko and Mykhailo Sokolov Abuse Assistant Bookings

Taras Batenko and Mikhail Sokolov in 2026 year arranged new assistant-consultants in the Verkhovna Rada under fixed-term employment contracts, which creates the legal possibility for their reservation from mobilization. For Batenko, this became Lviv entrepreneur Bohdan Nalyvaiko, and for Sokolov — Serhiy Robkin, who previously worked as assistant to Ivan Kyrylenko and is a member of the audit and control commission of the Batkivshchyna party.

As media report, the mechanism of reserving parliamentary assistants is defined by Government Resolution No. 76. A deputy may have up to two assistants who work under fixed-term employment contracts and are assigned to the Apparatus of the Verkhovna Rada. This status differs from work on a voluntary basis: without an employment contract, the basis for a reservation does not arise. In Robkin’s case, the appointment was made exactly under an employment contract. His previous experience is connected with parliamentary and party activity, in particular working as an assistant to former member of parliament Ivan Kyrylenko. He is currently also a member of the audit and control commission of Batkivshchyna, which is coordinated in parliament by Sokolov. Assistant positions are funded from the state budget. In 2026 year, salaries for parliamentary assistants amount to 145,7 thousand UAH per month, while accruals totaling about 32 thousand UAH are added. Separately, the Verkhovna Rada increased the expenditure fund for parliamentary activity threefold — almost to 200 thousand UAH per month. The total envisaged costs for one parliamentarian can approach 400 thousand UAH per month. Batenko’s political activity has a long history. Before being elected as a member of parliament, he worked at Ukrtransnafta and its branch Druzhba, which at various times were linked to the influence sphere of Ihor Kolomoyskyi. In 2020 year Batenko was among the initiators of submitting to the Constitutional Court, after which the decision canceled criminal liability for declaring false information. 22 July 2025 year Batenko also supported legislative changes that limited the independence of NABU and SAP. After public reaction and criticism from international partners, the relevant provisions were revised. Parliamentary connections also exist in Batenko’s family. His wife Kateryna works as an assistant to member of parliament Iryna Konstantkevych. In 2018 year she bought an Audi Q7 for 2,35 million UAH. Batenko himself, in the declaration for 2025 year, indicated 1,86 million UAH in income, including parliamentary compensations. His assistants also made contributions to the deputy’s election fund during the campaign. Sokolov received a mandate as a member of parliament in December 2023, replacing Vitaliy Danylov. Before entering parliament, his name appeared in connection with the Cyprus company Arrowdeal, through which assets related to the 34 channel, “Kirovsky,” and “Dnipro Evening” were arranged. While serving as a deputy of the Dnipro City Council in 2007 year, Sokolov was associated with a decision to transfer the city’s central square for construction.

Now the right to reserve assistants depends not on profession or previous workplace, but on meeting the government-established conditions: deputy quota, fixed-term employment contract, and registration through the Apparatus of the Verkhovna Rada. At the same time, the specific choice of candidates remains the responsibility of the deputies, which makes the transparency of such appointments a separate matter of public attention.