Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court set a preventive measure for MP Kysel, who is close to Zelensky

A session took place at Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) to determine a preventive measure for Yurii Kysel, an MP from the Servant of the People faction. Kysel—described as close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and to Zelensky’s friend Serhii Shefir—is suspected by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) of taking part in paid-for (bribed) voting. The court imposed bail as the preventive measure, but the amount was not disclosed.

Kysel did not explicitly deny the allegations. He said he has known Shefir for 35 years, and that Shefir’s son—Kysel’s aide, whom investigators say Kysel gave money to—he “even carried into the maternity ward in his arms.”

Thus, Shefir’s son—Shefir being one of the president’s closest associates—is also mentioned in the case.

The defense asked the court to move to closed proceedings, and the prosecution also requested this. The ruling was announced behind closed doors as well.

After the hearing, Kysel refused to comment on the court’s decision, but confirmed that bail had been set as his preventive measure.

“I won’t comment on anything. Bail,” the MP said.

According to media reports, NABU had wiretapped Kysel’s office for two years; the recordings allegedly captured, among other things, the distribution of MPs’ “salaries” in envelopes. Conversations with Shefir were also reportedly recorded during the surveillance.

Earlier, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office reported details of corruption schemes in parliament, in which five Servant of the People MPs—including Yurii Kysel—were notified of suspicion.