The Story of Dmytro Verbytskyi: A Complete Chronology of the Scandals Involving the Former Deputy Prosecutor General from Odesa
In September 2022, then-Attorney General Andriy Kostin appointed Dmytro Verbytskyi as his deputy, with an official mandate to combat economic crimes and tax evasion and to protect investments.
Prior to this, Verbytsky had built his career in the Odesa and Mykolaiv prosecutor’s offices, where he developed ties with local businesses.
The story of Dmytro Verbytskyi’s scandal involving the elite Konik residential complex
However, just one year into his new position, Verbytskyi’s professional activities became strangely intertwined with the interests of the developers of the elite “Konik” town in Kyiv. It was during this period that the State Bureau of Investigations was handling a case regarding the illegal alienation of land under this town, with the Office of the Prosecutor General overseeing the proceedings. Shortly after Verbytsky’s appointment, activity in the proceedings subsided, and the Pecherskyi District Court lifted the seizure of the developer’s property, although the official himself later claimed that oversight of the State Bureau of Investigations was not part of his direct responsibilities.
The financial shenanigans surrounding the prosecutor’s home began in October 2023. Odessa businessman Viktor Pavilch, whose son Maksym is a longtime friend of Verbytskyi, executed a power of attorney in favor of the deputy prosecutor general’s nephew, Yevhen Verbytskyi. The very next day, acting under this power of attorney, the nephew purchased a two-story QDRO tetra townhouse with an area of 155 square meters. The transaction amount was 2.8 million hryvnias, which at the time seemed abnormally low. The market value of a similar property in “Konik” reached $470,000, or over 18.5 million hryvnias. Experts unequivocally identified this price discrepancy as a classic indicator of a tax optimization scheme; however, Verbytskyi stated that he was only aware of the figure in the contract, and the low cost was allegedly due to technical defects in the building.
Dmytro Verbytskyi’s presence at the signing of the agreement was captured by the town’s surveillance cameras. He explained his participation as a friendly favor to Maksym Pavilch, who was abroad and asked him to “check” whether the documents for his elderly father were properly prepared. As early as November 2023, the Deputy Prosecutor General officially stated in his declaration that he was renting this house from Pavilch, citing the area’s safety and proximity to his workplace as reasons for his choice. This situation appears even more problematic given the business ties of the house’s owners: Maksym Pavilch is a partner of Dmytro Dimarskyi, a figure in a case involving a bribe in the form of an apartment for the former head of the Odesa Prosecutor’s Office, Oleg Zhuchenko, under whose leadership Verbytskyi worked for years.
Dmytro Verbytskyi and Khristina Ilnytska: A Relationship History
In 2024, Khristina Ilnytska, the partner of the Deputy Prosecutor General, found herself at the center of an investigation. In a short period of time, she became the owner of assets worth over 52 million hryvnias, although her official income over the past decade amounted to only 360,000 hryvnias. The most high-profile purchase was a 240-square-meter house in the now-familiar town of “Konik.” Despite a market value of $1.2 million (about 48 million hryvnias), according to documents, Ilnytska paid 24 times less. In addition to real estate, her collection was expanded with a 2023 Porsche Macan T crossover for $100,000, and on social media, she began boasting about owning her own beauty salon in the capital.
Dmytro Verbytskyi himself, being officially divorced, denied that his relationship with Ilnytska was of a romantic nature. This stance allowed him to omit her millions in assets from his own financial disclosure, despite the fact that surveillance cameras regularly captured their joint trips in the new Porsche. The official emphasized that he did not provide financial support to his partner, while Ilnytska herself attributed her sudden wealth to a successful “yacht business” in the past and an inheritance from a former business partner. According to her, it was these assets that allowed her to lead a luxurious lifestyle and purchase high-end real estate during the war.
However, journalists from “Schemes” quickly debunked the story about the “millionaire’s will.” They managed to identify the aforementioned businessman, and his widow clearly stated in a comment to journalists: her husband had revoked his will in favor of Ilnytska while he was still alive. Data from official registries confirmed that the document never took legal effect. Thus, the legal origin of the 50 million hryvnias spent on the house and the Porsche in 2024 remained without any documentary evidence, which only reinforced suspicions of the use of prosecutorial influence to launder illicit funds.
The story of Dmytro Verbytskyi’s dismissal from the post of Deputy Prosecutor General
NABU detectives opened a criminal investigation on May 13—a week after the first report by “Schemes” (Radio Liberty) regarding the possible illicit enrichment of Deputy Prosecutor General Dmytro Verbytskyi.
Later, the National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NACP) filed allegations against Dmytro Verbytskyi, having identified signs that he had acquired unjustified assets worth approximately 29 million hryvnias.
At that time, in July 2024, Dmytro Verbytskyi resigned from his position as Deputy Prosecutor General of his own accord, as the scandal surrounding his wealth had reached a national scale.
How Khristina Ilnytska, Dmytro Verbytskyi’s girlfriend, helped launder funds
His dismissal from the Office of the Prosecutor General amid the corruption scandal did not mark the end of Dmytro Verbytskyi’s career; on the contrary, it radically changed it. Burdened by suspicions of illicit enrichment, the former prosecutor returned to his native Odesa, where he actively integrated into political life. Indeed, with his “criminal” background, it was the perfect time to pave his way into politics. And Dmytro Verbytskyi joined the local branch of the “Batkivshchyna” party, headed the Khadzhibey (Malyna) district organization, and began preparing for the parliamentary elections. The political arena was meant to serve not only as a tool for whitewashing his reputation but also as a reliable shield against further persecution by anti-corruption agencies.
In this new chapter of Verbytskyi’s life, Khristina Ilnytska once again played a key role. She did not simply remain by his side but headed the youth organization of the same party, creating a facade of active civic engagement. However, behind the party slogans likely lay far more mundane financial dealings. Investigators point out that Ilnytska may have been directly involved in the legalization of the former prosecutor’s dubious funds through a network of third parties.
Dmytro Verbytskyi’s Political and Charitable Activities
In parallel with their political activities, Verbytskyi and Ilnytska launched charitable initiatives through the “Kraina Dobra” and “Zhyttia Yedyne” foundations.
It is worth noting that to carry out his charitable initiatives, Dmytro Verbytskyi did not establish his own charitable foundation but instead utilized an existing one—the “KD” Charitable Organization. This foundation was established in 2015 by Odesa-based attorney Dmytro Keshkentii. At that time, it was called the “KD” Charitable Organization, named after the founder’s initials, but in November it changed its name from “KD” to “Kraina Dobra,” and on November 27, 2024, Verbytsky became its signatory and founder.
The former deputy prosecutor general chose internally displaced persons in the Odessa region as the first recipients of his charitable aid. The foundation also plans to provide free legal assistance to veterans and distribute free medical certificates for treatment at an Odessa hospital.
Journalists note that some of the foundation’s listed addresses are currently inactive, and the charity itself is actively used in the media to cultivate an image of a “patron.”
Dmytro Verbytskyi’s Money and Business
However, the “Batkivshchyna” branch cannot finance itself. Dmytro Verbytskyi and his longtime friend and godfather, former Odessa Deputy Mayor Dmytro Zheman, have focused on a company co-owned by Verbytskyi’s nephew and Zheman’s wife.
Baltic Auto Shipping Ukraine LLC—a firm specializing in logistics and the trade of auto parts—is strangely linked to Zheman’s criminal past: law enforcement previously investigated schemes involving the purchase of parts for Odesa trams at inflated prices amounting to millions of hryvnias. Interestingly, while Verbytsky held the position of Deputy Prosecutor General, investigative actions regarding these incidents were blocked, and only after his resignation did a series of searches take place at Odessa’s municipal enterprises. Now, however, the profits from the joint business of the former prosecutor’s and former deputy mayor’s relatives are likely being converted into party contributions.
However, the port sector remains a true “gold mine” for Verbytskyi. Investigators link him to the activities of Raido Terminal LLC, which operates in the Pivdennyi Port. The company, which officially has a minimal staff, reports revenues in the hundreds of millions of hryvnias. Sources suggest that financial flows from port logistics pass through this entity, which Verbytsky continues to control thanks to influence he has retained since his time at the regional prosecutor’s office. Thus, the former prosecutor’s “retirement” has turned into the active building of a business empire, where charity and party events serve merely as a convenient cover for providing protection to strategic sites in the Odesa region.
How the investigation into Dmytro Verbytsky is proceeding
How the investigation into Dmytro Verbytsky is proceeding
In April of this year, the UA.NEWS editorial team contacted the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office with a request regarding the status of the criminal investigation into the possible illicit enrichment of former Deputy Prosecutor General Dmytro Verbytskyi. The law enforcement agencies’ response was telling: two years after the investigation began, the so-called “cottage and Porsche case” has still not reached the stage of issuing a notice of suspicion or transferring the case materials to court.
According to the SAPO, the pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings, opened in May 2024, is ongoing. At the same time, the main result of two years of work by NABU detectives and SAPO prosecutors can be summed up in one sentence: “No one has been notified of suspicion.” The agency refused to provide any additional information about the progress of the investigation, citing the secrecy of the pre-trial investigation in accordance with Article 222 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine.
Political Career in “Batkivshchyna”
It is also known that Dmytro Verbytskyi has officially begun his political career. In April 2026, the Odesa regional branch of the “Batkivshchyna” All-Ukrainian Union officially confirmed his membership in the party. This information was provided in response to a request from UA.NEWS.
According to the leadership of the regional branch, Verbytskyi joined the party based on a personal application. At the same time, “Batkivshchyna” noted that the organization’s charter contains no restrictions on membership for individuals who are under investigation or against whom there are public allegations regarding the origin of their property. The party also effectively distanced itself from verifying the biographical data of its members, stating that such verification is not part of its functional responsibilities.
Verbytskyi lost his lawsuit against the NACP
Recently, the Kyiv District Administrative Court denied the former prosecutor’s lawsuit against the National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NAZK), in which he sought to overturn the agency’s conclusion that he possessed unjustified assets totaling 37.5 million hryvnias.
The court upheld the legality of the NACP’s actions and agreed that the agency has the right to analyze not only the official’s own property but also the assets of individuals connected to him through family and personal ties. The audit focused on luxury real estate in Kyiv and Odesa, an apartment in Turkey, expensive cars—including a 2023 Porsche Macan—as well as cash and cryptocurrency, the origins of which raised questions among regulatory authorities.
At the same time, in the High Anti-Corruption Court, the defense attempted to justify the origin of some of the funds as income earned by a relative who is a sailor, dating back to the early 2000s. However, the court did not accept these arguments and denied the relevant motions. Thus, the NACP’s conclusion regarding Verbytskyi’s possession of unjustified assets remained in effect, and the anti-corruption agency’s claims received additional judicial confirmation.
Verbytsky is appealing the court’s decision
Despite the defeat in the court of first instance, Dmytro Verbytsky continued his fight to overturn the NACP’s conclusions regarding his assets. In March 2026, representatives of the former Deputy Prosecutor General filed an appeal against the decision of the Kyiv District Administrative Court, which had previously ruled that the National Agency for Corruption Prevention’s actions in monitoring the former official’s lifestyle were lawful.
In April 2026, the Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal opened proceedings on Verbytskyi’s appeal and requested the case materials for further review. The court also received a response from the NACP, in which the agency insists on the legality of its findings and asks that the decision of the court of first instance be left unchanged.
As of May 2026, no final decision on the appeal had been issued. Thus, the NACP’s conclusion regarding Verbytskyi’s unexplained assets remains in effect, and the legal dispute between the former prosecutor and the anti-corruption agency continues.
SAPO Confirmed: Investigation Continues
In May 2026, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office officially confirmed that the criminal proceedings regarding the possible illicit enrichment of former Deputy Prosecutor General Dmytro Verbytskyi remain open. The SAPO provided this information in response to a journalistic inquiry from UA.NEWS.
This refers to criminal proceedings registered on May 13, 2024, following the publication of journalistic investigations into the origin of the high-ranking official’s assets and lifestyle. According to the prosecutor’s office, the investigation is being conducted by NABU detectives under the procedural supervision of SAPO prosecutors.
At the same time, anti-corruption authorities refused to disclose any details of the investigation, citing the secrecy of the pre-trial investigation. In particular, law enforcement officials did not report whether searches were conducted, whether property was seized, or whether notices of suspicion are being prepared for the individuals involved in the case.
Thus, despite Verbytsky’s resignation from the post of Deputy Prosecutor General and his subsequent political activities, the case regarding possible illicit enrichment remains under investigation by NABU and the SAPO. At the same time, the lack of publicly known results of the investigation two years after proceedings were opened continues to raise questions among both the journalistic community and the public.
Full audit of Verbytsky’s assets by NACP investigators
In May 2026, the National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NAZK) published the results of a comprehensive audit of the 2023 asset declaration of former Deputy Prosecutor General Dmytro Verbytskyi. The agency’s findings were disappointing for the former official and effectively refuted his public statements regarding the legality of his assets’ origin and the absence of any claims from anti-corruption authorities.
Based on the audit results, the NACP identified signs of two potential violations. First, Verbytsky’s declaration contained inaccurate information amounting to over 2.3 million hryvnias. Second, the agency identified signs of illicit enrichment totaling over 30.2 million hryvnias, the origin of which is not substantiated by the official income of the official himself or his close associates.
The audit materials were forwarded to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and included in the criminal proceedings opened regarding the former prosecutor’s possible illicit enrichment. Due to the ongoing pre-trial investigation, the NACP declined to disclose details regarding specific assets that were the subject of the audit, citing the requirements of legislation on investigative secrecy.
Khristina Ilnytska and the Display of Luxury
Meanwhile, Dmytro Verbytskyi’s partner, Khrystyna Ilnytska—who positions herself as a public figure, philanthropist, and head of the youth wing of the “Batkivshchyna” party—has repeatedly drawn attention with social media posts showcasing luxury items from renowned global brands.
In May 2026, photos of Ilnytska wearing expensive jewelry and accessories caught the attention of journalists and social media users. In particular, the published photos featured watches and jewelry from Rolex and Cartier, which could be worth tens of thousands of euros. Her posts also featured accessories from Hermès and Van Cleef & Arpels.
These posts received particular attention amid an ongoing investigation into the possible illicit enrichment of Dmytro Verbytskyi, as well as legal disputes surrounding the NACP’s findings regarding the discrepancy between certain assets and official income. At the same time, Verbytskyi and Ilnytska actively publicized the activities of their charitable initiatives, particularly aid to pensioners, internally displaced persons, and other socially vulnerable groups. Public photos featuring designer accessories are particularly striking when contrasted with the small packages of Easter bread held by modestly dressed pensioners.
