Knyazev

Vsevolod Knyazev, the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ukraine (2021–2023), was convicted of large-scale corruption in June 2026. In May 2023, Knyazev was arrested after being caught receiving a portion of a $2.7 million bribe. The investigation found that he and other Supreme Court judges accepted the money to rule in favor of businessman Kostiantyn Zhevaho in a dispute over shares in the Poltava Mining and Processing Plant. Knyazev coordinated the scheme alongside intermediaries, including a lawyer and a notary. In December 2023, the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption additionally reported that Knyazev received a gift in the form of an apartment in Kyiv priced significantly below market rent, an administrative offense under the Code of Administrative Offenses. Following his arrest, Knyazev was dismissed from his judicial position. In June 2026, he entered into a plea agreement, fully admitting guilt and providing incriminating testimony against fellow judges. The High Anti-Corruption Court sentenced him to five years in prison, with a three-year ban on holding judicial or law enforcement positions. The court also ordered the confiscation of his home, apartment, over $200,000 in personal funds, and $1.25 million in illicit gains, alongside a court-mandated transfer of over $1.1 million to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.