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Member of parliament from Servant of the People Oleksandr Kunitsky, who since September 2024 year has not participated in parliamentary sessions, 9 of November 2026 year again voted in the Verkhovna Rada.
9 of November 2026 year, member of parliament Oleksandr Kunitsky, for the first time in more than two years took part in a vote in the Verkhovna Rada. The lawmaker, elected from the party “Servant of the People” in Kharkiv, had not appeared in the session hall since September 2024 year, when he left the country. Despite the long absence, Kunitsky retained his deputy mandate, membership in the faction, and a seat on the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Law enforcement activity.
Information about the deputy’s previous activity and the circumstances of his travel abroad is contained in the CHESTN dossier. In March 2025 year the organization also published the investigation "ZPSanek aka Kunitsky: from a controversial blogger to a fugitive deputy".
More than two years without voting in the Verkhovna Rada.
Oleksandr Kunitsky last voted in the parliament during the long break in 19 September 2024 year. The next day he did not participate in any vote, and later he left the country.
According to media reports, 23 of September 2024 year the deputy traveled abroad on the pretext of a business trip. Journalists established that he stayed in Israel and the United States.
In the CHESTN study, Kunitsky explained his reluctance to return to Ukraine by a conflict with law enforcement. He claimed that police used force against him and broke his ribs, and stated that he would not return to their punishment.
Despite his absence from sessions, Kunitsky continued to remain a member of parliament. He was not expelled from the Servant of the People faction, nor was he recalled from the Security and Law Enforcement Committee, although corresponding draft resolutions were registered in the Verkhovna Rada twice.
According to information from the parliament, which CHESTN had previously received, from 21 September to 31 December 2024 year Kunitsky was not paid a salary due to the lack of time worked.
Apartment in Canada and the deputy’s declaration.
In his last declaration Oleksandr Kunitsky stated that since October 2024 year he has been using an apartment in Canada of area 43 square meters.
According to the declaration, the housing was provided to him for free use.
This information complemented the report about the deputy’s long stay outside Ukraine. At the same time, the declaration itself does not establish where Kunitsky was during the entire period of absence from the parliament.
The circumstances of his return and the reasons for appearing at the session on 9 November are not clarified at the moment.
From blogger ZPSanek to a member of parliament.
Before entering politics, Oleksandr Kunitsky was known as the blogger ZPSanek. He published videos about the work of the patrol police, checks of documents, and conflicts of drivers with law enforcement.
In 2019 year Kunitsky was elected to the Verkhovna Rada from the party “Servant of the People” in single-mandate district No. 169 in Kharkiv. From the start of the convocation he joined the Committee on Law Enforcement.
As CHESTN determined, until September 2024 year the deputy actively participated in votes, although he spoke from the parliamentary rostrum relatively rarely. In the first five years of work he became author or co-author of 95 legislative initiatives, 22 which the Verkhovna Rada supported.
A significant part of his bills related to the automotive industry: electric transport, customs clearance of cars, traffic rules, and the development of a network of charging stations.
At the same time, the Schemes journalists previously investigated Kunitsky’s ties to the Kharkiv company Auto Enterprise. According to their data, the company after 2014 year supplied charging equipment to Russia, including products that ended up in Russian state structures. These circumstances were also highlighted by the CHESTN movement.
Scandals involving Kunitsky.
Throughout his parliamentary activity Kunitsky repeatedly found himself at the center of conflicts.
In 2021 year he fought with fellow party member Mykola Tyshchenko in the Verkhovna Rada cafeteria. In the same year the deputy was brought to administrative responsibility for traffic violations.
In 2023 year Kunitsky, together with MP Artem Dmytruk, figured in a scandal over a fight with a man in the center of Kyiv. The lawmakers themselves claimed that the other participant provoked the clash first.
This was not the first time Kunitsky left Ukraine for longer than a business trip. In July 2023 year he obtained permission for a five-day trip to Israel, but stayed abroad for almost three weeks. Journalists at the time reported seeing him in Florida.
Regarding the deputy’s return in November 2026 year, additional information appeared. According to the publication “Dumka,” which cites a source in “Servant of the People,” Kunitsky arrived in Ukraine last weekend, reportedly from Canada.
At the same time, the per-vote data available at the time of verification did not allow independent confirmation of Kunitsky’s specific vote on 9 November.
Reminder, StopKor published an investigation into the overseas trips of Kyiv city officials to popular resort destinations. Journalists investigated the circumstances of trips by Kyiv city authorities abroad in 2023–2024 years, including to Barcelona.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Нардеп Куницький з'явився у Верховній Раді після двох років відсутності: що відомо про його виїзд за кордон". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: StopKor.
