Ukrainian MP Yevhenii Shevchenko suspected of high treason
The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has served a notice of suspicion of high treason to Ukrainian MP Yevhenii Shevchenko.
According to Ukrinform, the SBI's press service confirmed this.
"Based on materials provided by the SBI, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), and under the procedural guidance of the Office of the Prosecutor General, a sitting member of Ukraine's Parliament has been served a notice of suspicion of high treason. Law enforcement discovered his actions undermining Ukraine's defense capabilities and information security," the statement reads.
The SBI noted that psychological-linguistic and military expert analyses confirmed that the MP began harming Ukraine’s defense and information security even before Russia's full-scale invasion.
Specifically, in 2021, Shevchenko disseminated false information denying the threat of a full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation from the territory of Belarus.
"He also criticized the current domestic and foreign policy course of our country, discrediting the government by distorting facts and events. He publicly called for changes to Ukraine’s territorial boundaries and state borders," the SBI reported.
The investigation revealed that Shevchenko produced content for his own channels, gave interviews to pro-Russian bloggers, and appeared on programs aimed at discrediting the Ukrainian government. This content was subsequently distributed on Russian propaganda outlets, portraying it as the official stance of a Ukrainian government representative. In his broadcasts, Shevchenko propagated the idea that the Ukrainian authorities had led the country to total collapse, territorial losses, and an inability to achieve peace. He also pushed the narrative that Ukraine could not win and should seek negotiations with Russia on any terms.
Shevchenko further disseminated information undermining Western partners and European values, claiming that the West was not only interfering with Ukraine’s internal affairs and provoking the war but also attempting to destabilize Georgia and Moldova through electoral influence.
The investigation also uncovered Shevchenko’s contacts with officials from the Belarusian Embassy, dating back to September 2020, when he entered the parliamentary podium with a Belarusian flag. The MP made multiple trips to Belarus, where he met with business and political figures, including the self-proclaimed President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko. Shevchenko used these meetings to push the narrative that there was no threat of a Russian invasion from Belarus.
Moreover, under Lukashenko's patronage, Shevchenko and his close relatives engaged in active business with Belarusian entities, particularly in the energy and fertilizer markets. They allegedly imported goods at significantly reduced prices, re-routing them through another European country and selling them in Ukraine at much higher prices.
This "special arrangement" with Belarusian authorities reportedly allowed Shevchenko to earn EUR 1.5 million in net profit within six months, though only Eur 500,000 was transferred to Ukraine due to the blocking of suspicious transactions by a European bank's financial monitoring system.
During this period, Shevchenko has allegedly purchased three luxury vehicles worth a total of USD 500,000, registering them under the names of his relatives.
The MP is now accused of committing high treason, a criminal offense under Article 111, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property.
The SBI has announced plans to request a court to impose a preventive measure, seeking his detention.
While the SBI did not officially disclose the name of the accused, media sources confirm that it is Yevhenii Shevchenko.
Shevchenko was previously expelled from the Servant of the People faction in Verkhovna Rada after unauthorized visits to meet Alexander Lukashenko. On April 20, 2021, Lukashenko hosted Shevchenko at the presidential palace in Minsk, despite the strained political relations between Ukraine and Belarus following the disputed 2020 presidential election.
In May 2021, Shevchenko was officially removed from the Servant of the People faction. Earlier, Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, had acknowledged using Shevchenko for communication with Belarus.