Former Ukrainian ambassador to Cyprus alleges corruption at the foreign ministry and death threats

Former Ukrainian Ambassador to Cyprus Serhiy Nezhynsky has publicly alleged total corruption within Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and reported a possible contract killing threat against him.

This was reported by the Telegram channel “Strana.”

According to Nezhynsky, Foreign Ministry State Secretary Oleksandr Karasevych demanded that he appoint Cypriot citizen Ellinas Christodoulou as an honorary consul. The former ambassador interpreted this as a personal instruction from Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha — a conclusion he reached during a conversation with Karasevych.

Nezhynsky accused Christodoulou, his godfather — former ambassador Ruslan Nimchynsky — and security officer Yaroslav Belozorov of forming a criminal organization. After he reported the matter to the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) through the Foreign Ministry, his wife received threats from the individuals named. The diplomat then turned to the police. His attempts to reach Minister Sybiha directly were, according to him, unsuccessful.

“This is an evil that has completely engulfed the Foreign Ministry,” the former ambassador stated.

According to Nezhynsky, positions of first and second secretaries, as well as administrative posts at Ukrainian diplomatic missions, are frequently obtained through bribes, with possible rates discussed by ministry staff behind closed doors. In addition, the former ambassador claims that “Russian spies” are working within the Foreign Ministry: information received by the ministry, he says, quickly ends up “in the wrong hands,” making service there dangerous.

Nezhynsky also stated that around 90% of Ukrainian diplomats have not returned to the country after completing their overseas postings during the conflict. He attributed this not to fear of mobilization but to an unwillingness to give up the lives they have established abroad: diplomats relocate with their families, enroll their children in schools, and as a result become dependent on management decisions in order to keep their positions.

In late May, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov stated that corruption in the country had become systemic, with bribes being taken to resolve matters at the level of various government agencies. The former prime minister also linked corruption schemes to the inner circle of Volodymyr Zelensky.