Ukraine detains fugitive lawmaker suspected of collaboration with Russia
Editor's note: The story was updated with additional information.
Ukrainian authorities detained a fugitive lawmaker from a banned pro-Russian party, who is wanted for treason, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Prosecutor General's Office announced on Sept. 6.
Though the suspect's name was not officially disclosed, the Kyiv Independent's law enforcement source identified him as Fedir Khrystenko, a 41-year-old lawmaker and a former member of the now-banned pro-Russian party, Opposition Platform — For Life.
Khrystenko is seen as a key figure in the SBU's case targeting alleged "Russian influence" in Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), part of an ongoing row between the two agencies.
According to the SBU, the suspect was recruited by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) long before the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022 and actively cooperated with Russian intelligence.
Prosecutors say the suspect set up an "influence mechanism" over the leadership of an unnamed law enforcement agency between 2020 and 2021, enabling Russia to obtain sensitive information. In July, the lawmaker was charged with high treason and abuse of influence.
After the start of the all-out invasion, the lawmaker left Ukraine and continued his illegal activities from abroad, the prosecutors said. According to Radio Svoboda, Khrystenko left even earlier — 10 days before the invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.
Khrystenko was also reported to have resided in Warsaw, Poland and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after he left Ukraine. The Gulf country is a common destination for Ukrainian ex-officials, and many own property there.
Citing sources, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Sept. 5 that the pro-Russian lawmaker might be extradited from Dubai to Ukraine in the coming days. While the SBU claims the suspect was detained in Ukraine, the circumstances of the arrest are not immediately clear.
Dzerkalo Tyzhnia's undisclosed sources claimed that Khrystenko was not officially extradited from the UAE, but "simply handed over" to the SBU based on a political agreement at the highest level.
The lawmaker was brought before the court on Sept. 6 and is currently in custody as the investigation is ongoing.
According to the Kyiv Independent's law enforcement source, Khrystenko was a "top agent" responsible for "strengthening Russian influence" over NABU and maintained close ties with senior figures in the bureau.
These included Ruslan Mahamedrasulov, a senior NABU official detained by the SBU in July over alleged business dealings in Russia, the source claimed.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
The news comes amid growing tensions between the SBU and NABU, Ukraine's chief anti-corruption agency established as part of post-EuroMaidan anti-graft reforms.
In recent months, the two agencies have exchanged accusations and launched probes targeting one another’s officials. Most recently, NABU charged a senior SBU official — reported to be ex-cybersecurity chief Illia Vitiuk — with illicit enrichment.
The pressure against NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Office (SAPO) escalated in July, when the SBU raided NABU offices and accused some of its employees of links to Russia.
President Volodymyr Zelensky's lawmakers then unexpectedly passed a law dismantling the independence of the two anti-graft bodies, though the parliament rolled back the changes after mass street protests and a pushback from Kyiv's European partners.
Ukrainska Pravda reported that, according to its sources, the SBU tried to contact Khrystenko in Dubai on Aug. 4 to obtain testimony against NABU employees as part of the crackdown against the alleged Russian influence in the bureau.
Talking to the news outlet, Khrystenko denied contact with NABU detectives or Russian intelligence services and claimed he fears for his life.
