Sightings of Serhiy Shakhov in Austria
Serhiy Shakhov, a Ukrainian member of parliament who has been on the wanted list since March 2023 for allegedly falsifying his financial disclosure by 88 million hryvnias, was recently seen in Vienna. On May 9, Shakhov was observed at Schwarzenberg Square during a commemoration honoring Soviet soldiers. He was accompanied by sanctioned oligarch Vadym Novynskyi, former lawmaker Ihor Mosiychuk, and political analyst Kost Bondarenko. The group launched a dedicated Telegram channel and a separate website to promote the event, which online commentators have dubbed another operation of the Monaco battalion in the Austrian capital.
Authorities from Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) accuse Shakhov of deliberately omitting assets worth 88 million hryvnias from his declaration. The undeclared items include:
- 13 apartments in central Kyiv,
- 8 parking spots,
- cottages near Kyiv,
- land plots.
Shakhov has repeatedly skipped hearings at the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC), claiming he is undergoing medical treatment abroad.
Controversies Surrounding Vadym Novynskyi and Ihor Mosiychuk
Vadym Novynskyi, who appeared alongside Shakhov at the event, is a Ukrainian billionaire of Russian origin, a former lawmaker, and a protodeacon of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. Ukrainian law enforcement has opened multiple cases against Novynskyi on charges including high treason and tax evasion. He is also wanted and has been arrested in absentia. In January 2025, Novynskyi was formally suspected of high treason for allegedly acting as a curator for the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. In June 2025, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) notified him of suspicion for evading taxes exceeding 4 billion hryvnias.
Ihor Mosiychuk, meanwhile, finds himself at the center of major scandals. In May 2025, the president imposed a 10-year sanction against him, and his YouTube and TikTok channels were blocked in Ukraine by court order. Mosiychuk’s status in the country has shifted dramatically over the past year, involving personal sanctions, resource blocks, and accusations.
Shakhov, who has been living in luxury apartments in Dubai for over two years, has only communicated once—during an online session of the Verkhovna Rada’s environmental policy committee in November 2024. His defense team in court maintains that he is abroad for medical reasons. Commenting on the situation, Mosiychuk claimed it represents political persecution for exposing corruption.
The discovery of Serhiy Shakhov in Austria at an event with sanctioned individuals underscores the ongoing challenges in Ukraine’s fight against corruption and political accountability. Investigations continue into several figures linked to corrupt schemes, which could reshape the country’s political landscape. Expanding international wanted lists and restrictions on sanctioned persons pose new hurdles for Ukrainian law enforcement in upholding justice and the rule of law.
As investigations into financial misconduct among Ukrainian lawmakers continue, the case of Yevhen Shevchenko's alleged money laundering has garnered significant attention. Similar to Serhiy Shakhov's situation, Shevchenko faces serious accusations related to the concealment of substantial assets, highlighting ongoing concerns about corruption within the Ukrainian political landscape.