A Kyiv court has sentenced Valeriy Zgursky, an officer at the career management department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Ground Forces Personnel Center, for attempting to profit from transferring a serviceman away from the frontline. The official was found guilty of accepting an illegal benefit and ordered to pay a substantial fine. The ruling was officially published in the judicial registry.
According to case files, in January 2026, Zgursky agreed to facilitate the transfer of a soldier from his current combat unit to another station in exchange for $9,000. The soldier in question had been deployed directly on the frontlines in the Donetsk sector since 2022. Investigators established that the defendant acted in conspiracy with other unidentified officials within the personnel center.
The entire operation was a controlled sting organized by Ukrainian law enforcement agencies. On March 12, the AFU officer was apprehended red-handed while receiving the first installment of the bribe, totaling $6,000.
During the court hearing, the defendant fully admitted his guilt, provided detailed testimony, and expressed sincere repentance.
The Svyatoshynskyi District Court of Kyiv took several mitigating factors into account:
Sincere repentance and cooperation with the investigation;
Being the sole provider for a minor child born in 2013;
A voluntary charitable donation of 50,000 UAH made by the defendant to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Court Verdict: «To find Zgursky guilty of committing a criminal offense under Part 2 of Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (acceptance of an unlawful benefit for exerting influence on decision-making by an official, committed by a group of persons upon prior conspiracy) and to impose a penalty in the form of a fine amounting to 264,000 UAH.»
The court found no aggravating circumstances in the case. The sentence will take full legal effect after the statutory appeal window closes.