Ukrainian court sentences rogue ex-MP Andrii Derkach to 15 years for high treason

HACC press service reported that the former lawmaker was sentenced to 15 years in prison with full confiscation of his property.

Investigation showed that between 2019 and 2020, Derkach regularly met in Moscow with representatives of Russian General Staff (GRU) and later held press conferences aimed at discrediting Ukraine.

Law enforcement agencies stated that between 2019 and 2022, Derkach received at least $567k from Russian intelligence services, utilizing the funds to orchestrate information attacks against Ukraine.

Andrii Derkach case

On Oct. 27, 2022, a court arrested Derkach in absentia in connection with the high treason and illegal enrichment case. Investigators established that he was part of a GRU agent network and "was engaged in creating a number of private security companies to use them for a rapid takeover of Ukraine."

On Jan. 10, 2023, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that MP Andrii Derkach was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship.

In November 2023, sitting MP Oleksandr Dubinskyi was also served a notice of suspicion for high treason. According to the investigation, Dubinskyi operated under the call sign "Buratino" and was part of the same criminal organization formed by the General Staff of Russia's Armed Forces.

In December 2025, the Russian state-run propaganda outlet Kommersant reported that Andrii Derkach, who faces separate in-absentia convictions in Ukraine, was awarded the title of "Hero of Russia." He now serves as a senator representing Russia's Astrakhan Oblast.