MP Ustinova, whose husband lives in the U.S., called the exodus of Ukrainians abroad a huge problem

Ukraine is facing a “huge problem” due to the large number of men fleeing abroad.

This statement was made by Oleksandra Ustinova, a member of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada from the “Holos” party, during an interview on the YouTube program “Have questions”.

The parliamentarian believes that courts are issuing overly lenient sentences to those organizing illegal schemes to smuggle military-age men out of the country.

“We currently have a huge problem because law enforcement officials have reported statistics showing that out of 183 court sentences given to organizers, only 11 resulted in actual imprisonment,” Ustinova said. According to her, “all the others are just paying fines,” and she called for harsher penalties.

She suggested, for example, prohibiting bail for such individuals.

“We are now discussing that for these people who are organizers of such crimes, bail should be forbidden—just as it is in severe cases like murder. Because we see a continuous flow, and law enforcement says: ‘We catch them, and they are released the next day and continue doing the same thing,'” she added.

Following these statements, social media users pointed out that Ustinova’s husband, Oleksii Yatsiuk, resides in the United States, despite being a Ukrainian citizen. Additionally, during the full-scale war with Russia, Yatsiuk purchased a house and land in the U.S. He also acquired a new Japanese car, according to Ustinova’s latest declaration.

The transaction occurred on March 29, 2022, when Yatsiuk became the owner of a house with an area of 321 square meters and a 697-square-meter plot of land. The property’s value was not disclosed. On April 11, 2022, Ustinova’s husband bought a new Mazda CX-5 crossover.

It was also revealed that during the first year of Russia’s invasion, Ustinova traveled to the U.S. to give birth, with the cost of childbirth overseas starting at $20,000.