A Kyiv court has released Ukrainian lawmaker Nestor Shufrych from custody and placed him under round-the-clock house arrest as he stands trial on charges including state treason, Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne reported.
The case is part of a broader effort by Ukrainian authorities to prosecute alleged collaboration with Russian state and security structures during wartime. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, law enforcement agencies have pursued cases involving suspected cooperation with occupation authorities, intelligence services, and other Russian entities.
Ukrainian law treats such actions – including financial ties to Russian structures in occupied territories or the promotion of pro-Kremlin narratives – as threats to national security. Authorities argue these activities can support Russia’s war effort by reinforcing occupation systems and undermining Ukraine internally.
Property in Crimea, payments to Russia's National Guard
Shufrych, a member of parliament from the banned Opposition Platform – For Life party, is accused by investigators of cooperating with Russian structures after the 2014 occupation of Crimea and supporting activities seen as undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty. He denies the charges.
According to the investigation, Shufrych helped re-register property he owned in Crimea under Russian law and arranged for it to be guarded by a unit linked to Russia’s National Guard. Prosecutors say payments made for that protection – more than 648,000 rubles – amounted to financing a force involved in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
He is also suspected of links to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and of promoting pro-Kremlin narratives in public statements, which investigators argue formed part of a broader campaign to weaken Ukraine from within.
Court swaps detention for electronic bracelet
On 16 April, the Shevchenkivskyi District Court in Kyiv granted a defense request to change his pre-trial measure from detention to house arrest. The ruling requires Shufrych to wear an electronic bracelet, surrender travel documents, avoid contact with witnesses, and remain at his registered address in Kyiv Oblast except in limited circumstances.
The decision followed months of legal deadlock over bail. In January, the Kyiv Court of Appeal set bail at more than 33 million hryvnias, but Shufrych’s lawyer said payment was blocked because of sanctions imposed on the lawmaker.
Sanctions blocked his own bail transfer
“The problem is that if you include the name of a sanctioned person in a payment order, the transaction is automatically blocked,” defense lawyer Valerii Buniak told Suspilne.
Prosecutors opposed the change, arguing the risks tied to the case had not diminished and insisting Shufrych should remain in custody. The Prosecutor General’s Office said the court’s decision is final and cannot be appealed.
Shufrych had previously been held in pre-trial detention, which was extended in March until May, according to Suspilne.
