"Odessa Polytechnic" and Verbytsky's Deferral: UA.NEWS Sent a Request to the Rector
The online media outlet UA.NEWS sent a press inquiry to Gennadiy Oborsky, rector of the National University “Odessa Polytechnic,” regarding the postgraduate studies of former Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine Dmytro Verbytsky. The editorial staff wishes to determine on what grounds the individual implicated in a corruption scandal was granted a deferment from military mobilization and whether he is occupying a state-funded spot at the university.
This is stated in a document sent to the university administration.
Journalists emphasize that the case has garnered significant public attention. According to information available to UA.NEWS, the former high-ranking official is enrolled in a state-funded graduate program specializing in Ukraine’s anti-corruption policy. It is likely that these very documents served as the basis for granting a deferment from conscription at the Khadzhibey District Military Registration and Enlistment Office and the Odessa City Military Registration and Enlistment Office.
What exactly are journalists investigating?
In its inquiry, the UA.NEWS editorial team asks the administration of “Odesa Polytechnic” to answer the following questions:
- Is Dmytro Verbytskyi actually a graduate student at the university? Since what year has he been studying there, and under what funding status (state-funded or contract-based)?
- Based on the results of which competitive selection process did the former prosecutor secure a state-funded spot?
- Is he following an individual study plan, who is his academic advisor, and what stage is his dissertation at?
- Did the university issue any certificates that were used to obtain a deferment from mobilization at the Territorial Recruitment Center?
“Dmytro Verbytskyi is a former high-ranking official regarding whom the National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NAZK) has officially established facts of probable illegal enrichment amounting to 29 million hryvnias. The individual in question and the legality of his use of state resources during the legal regime of martial law are of extremely high public interest,” the UA.NEWS inquiry states.
Journalists reminded the university administration that, according to Part 2 of Article 21 of the Law of Ukraine “On Access to Public Information,” data regarding the allocation of budget funds (in particular, for tuition payments) is fully public, and any attempts to restrict access to such information constitute a violation of the law. Furthermore, Verbytsky holds the status of a “national figure,” which entails the highest level of transparency and accountability to the public.
The Context of the Dmytro Verbytsky Case
Earlier, the National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NAZK) announced that it had uncovered evidence of illegal enrichment by Dmytro Verbytskyi amounting to 29 million hryvnias. According to the investigation, his family and close associates were found to own luxury assets, cars, and real estate in the “Konik” cottage community that were inconsistent with the official income of the public official. Amid the scandal, in June 2024, Verbytskyi was dismissed from his position as Deputy Prosecutor General.
It later emerged that the former prosecutor had found a way to avoid mobilization by enrolling in a graduate program in Odesa. The UA.NEWS editorial team is awaiting a response from the university within the timeframes established by law and will continue to keep the public informed about the progress of this investigation.
As a reminder, according to sources in Ukrainian intelligence agencies, Verbytskyi obtained a deferment at one of Odesa’s district territorial recruitment centers in November 2024. At the same time, he remains a graduate student at Odesa Polytechnic University, although, as journalists note, he was supposed to have completed his studies back in the fall of 2025.
The former official himself stated that he had enrolled in the graduate program even before the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However, he did not provide any further explanations regarding the duration of his studies.
Dmytro Verbytskyi was previously implicated in a journalistic investigation into possible illicit enrichment. The “Schemes” report focused on luxury real estate purchased at below-market prices, as well as property in Ukraine and abroad. Despite the open criminal cases, the investigations have been ongoing for nearly two years without any noticeable procedural results.
Incidentally, it has been two years since, on May 7, 2024, an investigation by Radio Liberty and the “Schemes” program uncovered undeclared assets and questionable real estate purchases by Dmytro Verbytskyi, Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine. The disclosed facts sparked widespread public outcry and set off a chain of events that culminated in the high-ranking official’s dismissal and the opening of a criminal investigation.
Currently, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) are continuing their pre-trial investigation into former Deputy Prosecutor General Dmytro Verbytskyi, who was dismissed amid scandal.
Meanwhile, the National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NAZK) has exposed Verbytsky’s attempt to conceal his ownership of luxury properties by filing for divorce.
