Sokilnyky's advisor was fired following an exchange of messages with a developer

Andriy Svischo, an advisor to Sokilnyky Mayor Andriy Svischo, was fired following a scandal involving correspondence with developer Roman Gorodechny—right in the middle of a session of the Lviv District Council. The dismissal order was signed on September 30—the day after photos of the correspondence appeared online.

 

Journalist Andriy Drozd reported Andriy Svyshcho’s dismissal on October 8 on the “P’yemont” Telegram channel. According to him, the advisor was dismissed the very next day after the Lviv District Council meeting, where he was photographed exchanging messages with developer Roman Gorodechny. “I recently reported how Andriy Svyshcho, an advisor to the head of Sokilnyky, was caught exchanging messages with developer Horodechny during a district council meeting. It turned out that the very next day, September 30, Svischo was dismissed from his position as advisor to the village head,” Drozd wrote.

 

It was on September 29 that the Lviv District Council meeting took place. During the session, Andriy Svyshcho was messaging Roman Gorodechny on Telegram. Photos of the correspondence were taken by community members who were present at the meeting. The published photos show that Svischo asked Horodechny whether he should join the meeting. The conversation also mentioned “raising the temperature” during the session.

At this district council meeting, the issue of changing the boundaries of Sokilnyky was to be considered. However, the day before, the relevant committees of the Lviv District Council had been unable to agree on putting this issue on the session’s agenda. Roman Horodechny has a direct interest in the territory in question. Together with his wife, Yulia, he owns part of the land slated for development.

At least about 20 hectares of land earmarked for development belong to Roman and Yulia Horodechny, as well as to their affiliated company, “Sokil-L.” The couple are also members of the “Varta” party.

What is known about Andriy Svyshcho

Andriy Svyshcho is 47 years old. He previously headed “Lvivelektrotrans.” In 2021, he was dismissed from his position as director of the company amid allegations of embezzlement of public funds. After his dismissal, Svyshcho repeatedly attempted to have his position reinstated through the courts. However, these attempts were unsuccessful.

In February 2023, the Frankivsk District Court of Lviv dismissed the case against him due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. Subsequently, the Lviv Court of Appeals overturned this decision and remanded the case for reconsideration. Recently, Svytsho had been serving as an advisor to the head of Sokilnyky. He has now lost this position. The order for his dismissal is dated September 30, 2026.

What’s Happening with the Development of Sokilnyky

The scandal over the correspondence arose against the backdrop of a long-standing dispute surrounding the expansion of Sokilnyky. A large-scale residential development is planned on the territory adjacent to the Danylo Halytskyi Lviv International Airport. The project calls for expanding the village’s boundaries by approximately 158 hectares. Five residential neighborhoods are planned for this area. They are to be located virtually right next to the airport’s runway.

Disputes and legal proceedings regarding these plans have been ongoing for several years. The Lviv City Council and local residents are challenging the approval of Sokilnyky’s updated master plan. Separately, law enforcement is investigating a possible illegal change to the village’s boundaries. The police are also looking into the possible involvement of officials from the Sokilnyky Village Council in the adoption of the relevant decisions.

Another important issue remains the future of the area near the airport. On April 24, the Lviv Regional Military Administration signed a memorandum with Lviv International Airport and the Sokilnyky community. The document was intended to help resolve the situation regarding the planned residential development in the area surrounding the airport. It also addressed the reservation of land that the airport may need for future expansion.

Thus, Andriy Svyshcho’s dismissal occurred amid yet another escalation of the debate surrounding the development of Sokilnyky. Moreover, the very fact that he was dismissed the day after photos of the correspondence were published drew additional attention to the situation.