Drugs, courts and sham service in the AFU for the son of the head of Kyiv police

Oleksandr Petrenko, the son of Oleh Petrenko, deputy head of the Kyiv Regional Police, has once again come under the scrutiny of law enforcement agencies.

 The former operative of the Boryspil Police Department is accused of organising a network for the production and distribution of amphetamine. However, despite the charges and documented instances of drunk driving, he not only remained at large but also "mobilised" into the Armed Forces of Ukraine with his father's assistance.

A career under his father's protection

Oleksandr Petrenko, a native of the village of Lehnykivka, started working in the police force thanks to his father, who facilitated his employment at the Boryspil Police Department. However, the operative soon began attracting attention not for his professional achievements, but for problems with drugs and alcohol.

The first known incident occurred in December 2017. Junior Petrenko was stopped on the Kyiv-Kharkiv highway near Barishivka in the early morning. He refused to take a breathalyser test in the presence of witnesses, and an administrative protocol was drawn up against him under Article 130 of the Code of Administrative Offences. However, the court closed the case.

The police officer's declarations listed only a plot of land in Lehnykivka and an old 2002 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, purchased by his wife for 120,000 hryvnia. There was no information about housing, although his personal photos on social media suggested otherwise.

From dismissal to drug dealing

In 2022, Oleksandr Petrenko left the police ranks. Military operations were cited as the reason, but it later emerged that he had been involved in the production and distribution of amphetamine. He was soon detained for driving under the influence of drugs in Boryspil. Tests confirmed the presence of prohibited substances, but the court closed the case again after several months.

Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies were investigating the activities of an organised criminal group, which included Petrenko, Roman Romanov, Danylo Panchenko, Vladyslav Zholobov and Volodymyr Ostrovskyi.

 According to the investigation, from late April 2022, they established the production and sale of amphetamine through internet channels. The drugs were transported in a Mazda 6, which was often driven by Petrenko himself. Investigators believe that his knowledge of the locations of checkpoints and the code words for passing them may have been obtained thanks to his father's connections.

The criminal group operated for about seven months. After his detention, charges were brought against Petrenko, but he was quickly released on bail of 537,000 hryvnia. The source of the funds remained unknown.

"Sham" mobilisation into the AFU

At the end of June 2023, during a court hearing, Petrenko's lawyer stated that his client had received a summons to the army. Shortly after, Oleksandr appeared on social media in military uniform, creating the impression that he had gone to the front line.

However, as journalists found out, he never actually ended up in the combat zone. According to sources, Petrenko's father, with the assistance of Serhiy Rusyn, the former head of the Boryspil Territorial Centre for Recruitment and Social Support, ensured his son's "sham" service. 

In reality, Oleksandr continues to live in Boryspil, posting only photos in uniform but not participating in combat operations. Moreover, he continues to use narcotic substances and remains at large, despite the criminal cases opened against him.

Formally, Junior Petrenko is in the reserve, but no one has declared him a fugitive.