Appeal Court Upholds Ex-Donetsk Medical University Rector’s Sentence
The Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court upheld the verdict sentencing in absentia to 9 years in prison against the former rector of Donetsk National Medical University, Petro Kondratenko, for receiving illegal benefits and money laundering.
As is known, the High Anti-Corruption Court sentenced former rector Kondratenko in absentia to 9 years in prison. The court also imposed a special confiscation on the 2017 BMW X3 and 2018 BMW X5. Kondratenko himself and his defense attorney filed appeals against this verdict.
The appeals of the defense are dismissed, and the verdict of the High Anti-Corruption Court of January 13, 2026 on the charges (Kondratenko - ed.) is unchanged. The decision comes into force from the moment of its announcement and can be appealed in cassation within three months.
According to the investigation, there is a system of extortion from foreign students at DonNMU for registration at universities. University officials allegedly systematically demanded bribes from representatives of commercial structures specializing in the selection and further registration of foreign students at Ukrainian universities, under the threat of creating artificial obstacles during the registration of foreign applicants to the medical university.
Law enforcement agencies documented in 2018 the fact that Kondratenko received two luxury BMW cars worth over $100,000 from a representative of a commercial structure for not interfering with the admission of students. The cars were found during searches in Kramatorsk and Kropyvnytskyi, where the medical university's branches are located.
Petro Kondratenko is a figure in the EBK database.
