Vsevolod Knyazev

Vsevolod Knyazev served as the Chairman of the Supreme Court of Ukraine starting in October 2021. His career was marked by two primary corruption-related scandals. In December 2023, the Pechersk District Court found him guilty of an administrative offense for violating gift receipt restrictions under the Law on Prevention of Corruption. Knyazev had rented an apartment in Kyiv at a price significantly below market value. The court ordered him to pay a fine and confiscated the gift value of UAH 906,600. In May 2023, Knyazev was arrested for his involvement in a $2.7 million bribery scheme concerning a corporate dispute over shares in the Poltava Mining and Processing Plant, linked to businessman Kostiantyn Zhevaho. Investigations revealed that Knyazev and other judges received payments to issue a ruling favoring Zhevaho. Following his arrest, Knyazev was dismissed from his position by the Supreme Court and eventually by the High Council of Justice. In June 2026, he entered into a plea agreement with the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, admitting his guilt and providing testimony against other judges involved in the scheme. The High Anti-Corruption Court sentenced him to five years in prison, banned him from holding judicial or law enforcement positions for three years, and ordered the confiscation of his property, personal savings, and illicit gains. Additionally, he was required to transfer over $1.1 million to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.