Tymoshenko accuses MP Kopytin of aiding NABU in bribery case against her

Tymoshenko alleged that NABU enlisted Kopytin — whom she said is involved in another case — to fabricate a politically driven narrative against her. She acknowledged having spoken with him, but insisted the audio released by investigators was misleading.

“The conversation I remember with Kopytin had absolutely nothing to do with money,” she said, describing the recordings as “a compilation” and “a provocation” designed to distort her words. “These people … work on a provocation and then somehow compile and insert elements that weren’t in the conversation, and then present it nationwide as if it were evidence of a crime.”

At 11:48 a.m., prosecutors formally requested bail of 50 million hryvnias and asked the court to impose several restrictions, including a ban on leaving Kyiv or Kyiv Oblast, mandatory court appearances upon summons, advance notification of any change in residence or employment, and a prohibition on contacting witnesses. Prosecutors also requested limiting Tymoshenko’s contact with more than 50 members of parliament.

Earlier in the hearing, she reiterated that the NABU tapes were falsified and that she would present evidence to that effect.

Responding to questions about who might have set her up, Tymoshenko declined to speculate.

She wore a white coat to the courtroom and was accompanied by her husband, Oleksandr Tymoshenko, and her legal counsel. The hearing was briefly recessed at 11:23 a.m. before resuming with the prosecution’s motion.

The court had not issued a ruling by the time of publication.

Who is Ihor Kopytin

Ihor Kopytin is a first-term member of Ukraine’s parliament representing Mykolaiv Oblast, elected in 2019 on the Servant of the People ticket. He serves on the Verkhovna Rada’s Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence, where he chairs a subcommittee overseeing defense industry policy and technical modernization.

Before entering politics, Kopytin worked in the private sector, primarily in aviation and technology. He held roles in aircraft maintenance and international sales, and later launched several IT and drone-related startups. He holds a law degree from Odesa University and has presented himself as a reform-minded advocate for modernizing Ukraine’s defense sector.

Kopytin has not previously been publicly linked to major corruption investigations. However, Tymoshenko alleged in court that he is a figure in another criminal case and may have cooperated with anti-corruption authorities in her case to protect his own legal standing. Kopytin has not publicly commented on the claim.