Former lawmaker Novinsky is under Croatia's protection
Former Member of Parliament Vadym Novynskyi has been in Croatia since August 2023, where he has been granted temporary protection status. New details about his stay abroad have emerged from court documents in the case involving Ukrainian sanctions, which Novynskyi is attempting to challenge.
Former Member of Parliament Vadym Novynskyi has been outside Ukraine for more than three years. Since August 24, 2023, he has been living in Croatia, where he has been granted temporary protection status. The documents do not specify exactly what type of protection status Novinsky received in Croatia. However, this information came to light during the consideration of his lawsuit regarding Ukrainian sanctions.
Novinsky sought to suspend the sanctions
On September 17, the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court considered the issue related to Novinsky’s claims regarding the sanctions. The former MP asked the court to temporarily suspend certain restrictions that Ukraine imposed against him in January 2023. Specifically, these included asset freezes, restrictions on trade transactions, and a complete halt to the transit of resources, flights, and transportation through Ukrainian territory. Novinsky also requested that restrictions on the fulfillment of economic and financial obligations be lifted.
The Ukrainian authorities imposed these sanctions by a decision of the National Security and Defense Council dated January 24, 2023, which was approved on the same day by Presidential Decree No. 43/2023. Novinsky’s attorneys argued in court that the imposed restrictions allegedly effectively prevent their client from meeting his basic needs. “The sanctions imposed on the plaintiff are aimed at completely blocking the vital, basic physical needs necessary for any person’s existence,” his defense attorneys stated.
The court denied Novinsky’s request
The Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court did not grant Novinsky’s request for a partial stay of the sanctions. The court noted that the method he proposed to secure the claim would, in effect, mean suspending the presidential decree and prohibiting the enforcement of the decision arising from it.
This means that the sanctions remain in effect while the case is pending. At the same time, the court’s denial does not mean the end of all of Novinsky’s disputes regarding the sanctions. According to “Glavkom,” as early as 2023, he filed two lawsuits against President Volodymyr Zelenskyy demanding that the sanction decisions be revoked. Those cases are still pending.
The defense stated that Novinsky was ready to travel to Ukraine
During the court proceedings, the former MP’s attorneys also stated that he was allegedly ready to travel to Ukraine to be questioned by investigators from the State Bureau of Investigations. At the same time, the defense insisted that, in such a case, Novinsky must be guaranteed the opportunity to reside in Ukraine and exercise his rights. This position was expressed in the context of criminal proceedings in which Novinsky has the status of a suspect.
In January 2025, the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) notified him that he was suspected of treason and of inciting religious hostility and hatred. According to the investigation, Novinsky has long been spreading Russian narratives and acting in Russia’s interests. It is important to note that this is merely a suspicion and not a conviction established by a court.
What Is the State Bureau of Investigation Accusing Him Of?
According to investigators, Novinsky has been promoting Russian narratives in Ukraine since 2014 through interviews, public speeches, his own website, and social media. The DBR also stated that he maintained close contacts with Kirill, Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, and served as the so-called “curator” of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. It is on this basis that law enforcement officials link his activities to the spread of Russian influence in Ukraine.
Separately, the investigation points to Novinsky’s statements regarding the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and other religious organizations. Law enforcement officials believe that some of these statements may have contributed to inciting religious hostility. The court will make the final determination regarding these allegations.
What sanctions are in place against Novinsky
According to the Ukrainian sanctions registry, a number of personal restrictions have been imposed on Vadym Novinsky. These include the freezing of assets, restrictions on trade, transit, flights, and transportation within Ukraine, as well as other sanctions provided for by law. It is precisely some of these restrictions that Novinsky is attempting to challenge in court.
Novinsky left after his mandate was revoked
Vadym Novinsky served as a member of the Ukrainian Parliament for several terms. In July 2022, the Verkhovna Rada terminated his parliamentary powers early. After that, Novinsky left Ukraine.
He has been spotted abroad on multiple occasions, according to open sources. In particular, there were reports of his stay in Croatia, where he attended church services. Court documents now reveal that Croatia has been his country of permanent residence since at least August 2023 and that he is under temporary protection there.
Novinsky Was Placed on the Wanted List
In September 2025, Ukraine placed Novinsky on the wanted list. The basis for this was a criminal case in which he had previously been notified of the charges against him. The State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) officially confirmed that the charges relate to treason and incitement of religious hostility and hatred. At the same time, law enforcement agencies are investigating his assets in Ukraine.
What Was Seized in Ukraine
At the request of investigators, a court had previously placed a lien on part of Novinsky’s property. These include an apartment measuring over 666 square meters in central Kyiv, two land plots with a total area of about 0.2 hectares in Kozin near Kyiv, and a 2017 Mercedes-Benz V250 d.
Also seized was 8 million hryvnias in bail that Novinsky had previously posted on behalf of Oleksandr Orlov, the former first deputy head of the Odesa Regional State Administration. Thus, Novinsky is currently abroad, while both civil and criminal proceedings against him are ongoing in Ukraine. The former lawmaker is challenging the sanctions, but the Supreme Court denied his request for a temporary stay of their enforcement. At the same time, the criminal case regarding allegations of treason and incitement of religious hatred has not yet been concluded, and a final assessment of his actions is to be made by the court. This information came to light from court documents analyzed by the publication “Glavkom.”
After being stripped of his parliamentary seat in July 2022, Novinsky left Ukraine, explaining that he wanted to focus on “humanitarian and church matters.”
Since then, he has been spotted abroad on multiple occasions—in Croatia, attending a service at the largest Russian Orthodox church in Zurich, and in Jerusalem with the Holy Fire.
Vadym Novynskyi has decided to challenge in court the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) to impose sanctions on him due to his ties to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.
