The Poltava District Court has granted the divorce petition filed by Poltava Regional Council member Serhiy Bielashov, ending his 38-year marriage to Liliana Bielashova. The ruling was issued on August 21, 2026, though it has not yet taken legal effect due to an ongoing appeal.
The couple officially registered their marriage on June 25, 1988, at the Shevchenkivskyi Civil Registry Office in Poltava. Court documents confirm that both parties will retain the surname Bielashov / Bielashova following the final decree.
Serhiy Bielashov initially filed for divorce on February 6, 2026, with formal proceedings opening three days later. In his petition, the regional MP stated that the couple had not lived together or maintained marital relations for over a decade, leading to an irrevocable breakdown of the family unit.
In May 2026, Liliana Bielashova—who currently resides in Spain—filed a formal statement opposing the dissolution. Her legal representation argued that after more than 35 years of marriage and joint asset accumulation, there was insufficient evidence in the record to support the claim that cohabitation had ceased ten years ago.
In response to the defense’s filing, the court granted a mandatory three-month reconciliation period on May 21, temporarily suspending the trial.
When hearings resumed on August 21, neither party appeared in person. Bielashov requested the case be heard in absentia, while his wife’s lawyer continued to contest the divorce, arguing that family relations remained intact.
The court rejected the defense’s argument, citing Ukrainian family law regarding voluntary union and individual autonomy.
«Under Article 24 of the Family Code of Ukraine, marriage is based on free consent. Article 56 guarantees each spouse the right to terminate marital relations, and coercion to maintain a marriage is prohibited. The petitioner’s intent is considered deliberate and firm, making any further reconciliation period a mere formality,» the court noted in its decision.
The defense has filed an appeal with the Poltava Court of Appeal, delaying the execution of the divorce ruling until higher judicial review.
The current ruling does not settle any property disputes between the former spouses. While Liliana Bielashova noted in her court filings that all assets were acquired jointly during the marriage, any division of property will require a separate civil lawsuit.
This civil matter comes alongside ongoing high-profile criminal proceedings against the lawmaker. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) previously charged Serhiy Bielashov over his alleged involvement in a scheme to embezzle nearly 204 million UAH from Ukrzaliznytsia’s Production Support Center branch. Bielashov was initially taken into custody before being released on bail.