A video investigation by Bihus.Info—a Ukrainian anti-corruption media project founded in 2013 by investigative journalist Denys Bigus—has surfaced online. The team is known for exposing corruption schemes within the highest echelons of power.
In this investigation, Bihus.Info focuses on a key contradiction: while officials and public figures urge young people to remain in Ukraine, prepare for war, and “row in the same boat,” their own children study at prestigious foreign universities. This exposes a system of double standards where patriotic rhetoric is directed at the general public, while the offspring of the powerful elites are ensured safety and quality education abroad.
Rhetoric of Ukrainian Officials and Geography of Their Children’s Education
Ihor Shvaika
Ihor Shvaika
- Position: Deputy Head of the 4th Recruitment Center for the Forces of Territorial Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, former Minister of Agrarian Policy.
- Children: Sofia and Taras, reside and study in Antwerp, Belgium.
- Public Stance: Shvaika labeled those who send their children abroad before conscription age as “rats fleeing a sinking ship”:
“I won’t even comment on the hysteria. I’ve heard several times how mothers take their children abroad, 16–17 years old, preparing to live overseas. Let’s be honest, this is flight. Yes, it is flight. If you prepare so that your son doesn’t serve, taking him abroad before mobilization age, you are fleeing. Simply fleeing the country. Like rats fleeing a sinking ship to save themselves.”
When asked if he considered his own children “rats,” he evaded the question: “If my children lived with me, they would act as their father teaches them.”
Denys Ulyutin
Denys Ulyutin
- Position: Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine.
- Children: Daughter Vladyslava studies veterinary medicine at the Estonian University of Life Sciences.
- Costs: 220,000 UAH (approximately $5,300) per year.
- Comment: Ulyutin is responsible for the strategy of returning Ukrainians to Ukraine, yet his daughter receives education abroad. When questioned about the double standards, he replied evasively: “We will get back to you.”
Taras Batenko
Taras Batenko
- Position: Member of Parliament from the “For the Future” party.
- Children: Daughter Justina studies at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
- Costs: 690,000 UAH (approximately $17,000) per year.
- Public Stance: Criticized the Ministry of Education for ignoring the outflow of youth abroad:
“The education system is losing tens of thousands of graduates. It’s time to account for these failures. The Ministry of Education has turned a blind eye to the outflow of young people abroad for years.”
He justified his daughter’s education abroad by stating it was “her choice, as Ukraine lacks opportunities to master her chosen profession.”
Oleksandr Senkevych
Oleksandr Senkevych
- Position: Mayor of Mykolaiv.
- Children: Son Maksym and daughter Maria study in Poland; his wife also runs a business there.
- Costs: Approximately 90,000 PLN according to declarations.
- Statements: Calls for youth to return to build a “little Denmark on the Black Sea coast.” However, Senkevych does not plan to bring his own family back to Ukraine, despite urging others to return to Mykolaiv.
Bigus’ Commentary: “We are creating conditions for return, but for whom? For ordinary people, for the simple folks, for someone else—but not for all of us.”
Iryna Lohoida
Judges and Their Children
The investigation revealed widespread education of judges’ children abroad:
- Marina Rotar (Voznesensk): daughter — Austria.
-
Oleksandr Yakovlev (5th Administrative Court of Appeal): son — Netherlands.
-
Iryna Lohoida (Uzhhorod): daughter — Queen Mary University of London (£18,000 per year).
-
Yurii Badziukov (Kharkiv Regional Administrative Court): daughter — Canada.
-
Semen Stetsenko (Supreme Court of Ukraine): son — UK (257,000 UAH).
-
Kostiantin Ohorodnyk (Supreme Court of Ukraine): son — UK (over $48,000).
-
Viktoriia Makedonska (Supreme Court of Ukraine): daughter — USA.
-
Tetiana Nevidoma (Kyiv Court of Appeal): son — Germany.
-
Valentyn Zaverukha (Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi City Court): son — Slovakia.
-
Olha Liashko (Primorskyi District Court in Odesa): son — Austria (funded by Cypriot companies, $100,000).
Tightening Mobilization and Public Reaction
Amid exposed double standards, authorities are strengthening mobilization rules. The Verkhovna Rada approved Draft Law No. 13634, revoking deferrals for college and technical school students over 25 and those on academic leave. This limits opportunities to avoid conscription through education.
In 2025, the number of men over 25 enrolling in bachelor’s programs significantly dropped (15,000 compared to 24,300 the previous year). Oleg Sharov, a representative of the Ministry of Education, stated that the admissions campaign had become “unfriendly to draft evaders.”
After borders opened for men aged 18–22, thousands seized the opportunity to leave. According to Polish border guards, 6,100 Ukrainian men of conscription age arrived in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship in one week, while only 2,000 returned. Another 4,605 young Ukrainians entered the Lublin Voivodeship, reflecting attempts to avoid mobilization.
Allegations of Collaboration with SBU
Bihus.Info has repeatedly faced pressure from the authorities. In addition, allegations have emerged regarding Bigus’s collaboration with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). MP Oleksiy Honcharenko publicized documents allegedly confirming Bigus’s freelance status with the SBU, which explains the absence of criticism of Zelenskyy and his inner circle in their reports.
The documents regarding Denys Bigus’s collaboration with the SBU were signed in May 2024.
The documents regarding Denys Bigus’s collaboration with the SBU were signed in May 2024.
If these allegations are true, it could mean that investigations targeting certain officials may serve as a tool in power struggles between different factions within the government or as a means to eliminate dissenting figures. However, the journalists themselves deny these accusations, insisting on their independence.
At the same time, it is important to note that the issue of double standards among officials remains relevant regardless of the accusations against Bihus.Info. According to data from other sources, high-ranking officials whose families study or reside abroad but were not mentioned in Bihus.Info’s materials include:
-
Andriy Sadovyi – Mayor of Lviv, whose children study in the UK. Sadovyi himself stated that they would “return to Ukraine for military service after the age of 25.”
-
Rustem Umerov – Head of the National Security and Defense Council, whose family reportedly resides in the USA.
-
Natalia Moseichuk – A well-known TV presenter who publicly called for strict mobilization while her adult son remains in Europe.
Thus, even if Bihus.Info did exclude some names from the investigation due to pressure or agreements, this does not negate the fact that systemic double standards exist within the Ukrainian elite.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
well, once a democrat nazi warmongering jew-banker rat – always a democrat nazi warmongering jew-banker rat.. they send your kids to die while they give their kids your money & land after they send you to die!!!
ihor shvaika and all the other ukrainians will speak exactly like israelis when ever caught red handed or questioned. i expect israel to open a self conducted internal investigation to create talking points for global media dissemination on the accused ukrainians behalf.
case in point. who was really behind the death of charlie kirk – “charlie kirk refused netanyahu funding offer, was ‘frightened’ by pro-israel forces before death, friend reveals” max blumenthal -the grayzone… after what trump-$tein said in front of the msm on september 3rd about i$rael having total control over the u.s. government but that it’s losing support… might as well be him that pulled the “trigger”!
surprised there aren’t any updates here about recent incidents involving that ukrainian public figure, or about the situation with charlie kirk. it’s also odd there’s barely any coverage on the current status of the conflict in ukraine, especially considering recent developments. and those drone incidents affecting poland? seems like important news isn’t being highlighted as much as it should be. 🤣🤣🤣🤣