Former Prosecutor Shcherbyna, Sentenced to Six Years, May Have Been Exempted from Prison Due to Mobilisation

Ihor Shcherbyna, former head of the Main Investigative Department of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine, who was sentenced to six years in prison for fraud and incitement to provide undue advantage, may have avoided serving his sentence. Journalist Volodymyr Boyko published a version suggesting that the official did not end up behind bars thanks to mobilisation. This information is based on a recording of a conversation between developer Maksym Mykytas and former deputy head of the Presidential Office, Iryna Mudra.

Details of the published recording

The case gained publicity following Volodymyr Boyko's publication. According to the SPILNO outlet, the relevant episode is contained in the materials of a criminal case dated 18 February 2026. In the recorded conversation, Mykytas told Mudra about the situation with Ihor Shcherbyna, who was sentenced to six years in prison but was subsequently mobilised. He cited this case as an example of how one could act if he himself were sentenced. In response to his interlocutor's question about where exactly such a mechanism could be applied, Mykytas allegedly explained that it referred to the possibility of avoiding punishment.

Essence of the criminal case

Ihor Shcherbyna previously headed the Main Investigative Department of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine. He was accused of attempting to obtain $150,000 in undue advantage, which, according to the investigation, was to be passed to then-director of the State Bureau of Investigation, Roman Trub. In December 2019, Shcherbyna was detained after receiving $75,000 — part of the specified amount.

On 26 June 2024, the Higher Anti-Corruption Court found him guilty. The court imposed a sentence of six years in prison with confiscation of property and deprived him of the class rank of Senior Justice Adviser. As reported by Ukrainian Pravda, the verdict was handed down on that day. Interfax-Ukraine confirmed the finality of the verdict, citing the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office: on 12 August 2025, the Cassation Criminal Court within the Supreme Court left these decisions unchanged.

Role of Serhiy Pashynskyi

In his investigation, Volodymyr Boyko drew attention to former People's Deputy Serhiy Pashynskyi. According to the journalist, it was Pashynskyi who may have helped Shcherbyna formalise military service, which allegedly allowed him to avoid serving the imposed sentence.

It is worth noting that information about the financial declarations of other politicians has previously emerged. Specifically, former Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko declared 3.24 million UAH in fees and other payments from the Kyiv School of Economics for 2025. Kyiv School of Economics Board Member Yehor Hryhorenko received over 279,000 UAH from a public organisation linked to the institution. Iryna Mudra also declared payments of 194,900 UAH each in July and August 2026.