Ternopil court hears lawsuit against city councillor Artur Shatarskyi over unreturned loan

Start of court proceedings

Civil case No. 607/16126/26 has been initiated at the Ternopil City District Court. The defendant in these proceedings is Artur Shatarskyi, a member of the Ternopil City Council from the Servant of the People party. The plaintiff is Vasyl Tomchyshyn, who is seeking to recover the debt under a loan agreement.

On 28 July 2026, the court issued a ruling to open the proceedings. The first hearing is scheduled for 12 October 2026. As of the time of publication, there is no information about a final court decision. The opening of the case does not imply that the plaintiff's claims are justified: the court must examine the evidence of the transfer of funds, the terms of the agreement, and the grounds for debt recovery. It has also not been established whether this lawsuit is related to other financial claims previously voiced by citizens.

Context of public statements on loans

In addition to the court dispute with Vasyl Tomchyshyn, Artur Shatarskyi became the focus of attention following a publication in the Chasopys outlet in February 2026. The article mentioned accounts from people who claimed they had lent the councillor significant sums but were unable to recover the funds.

According to the journalists' sources, the total volume of such loans exceeded two million dollars. Some claimants also reported probable pressure and the ignoring of their appeals demanding the return of the debt. However, these statements currently lack independent judicial confirmation. The mere claims of money transfers do not prove either the existence of a debt of the specified amount or any unlawful actions on the part of the councillor.

Positions and comments

In addition to his mandate as a member of the Ternopil City Council, Artur Shatarskyi works on a permanent basis as an assistant-consultant to People's Deputy Volodymyr Hevka.

The TeNews outlet notes that the editorial team did not receive a statement from Artur Shatarskyi regarding the claims of unreturned loans and the court dispute with Vasyl Tomchyshyn.

Thus, currently, the court hearing concerns a specific lawsuit for debt recovery, while the sum of over two million dollars voiced by other citizens remains their claim, which requires separate verification.