Position: deputy of the Kovel District Council, head of the education department of the executive committee of the city council.
Sphere of corrupt activity: construction.
Region of corruption activity: Volyn region.
Qualification: the actions are qualified under Part 2 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (official negligence that caused grave consequences).
Status: the issue of choosing a preventive measure is being decided.
Case story: On February 20, 2026, law enforcement officers exposed a deputy of the Kovel District Council, who also heads one of the city council departments, for official negligence, which led to over 2.5 million UAH in losses.
According to the investigation, the official was carrying out technical supervision and control over the construction of a protective structure for one of the city's lyceums. Law enforcement officers established that the official approved design and estimate documentation with an inflated cost of construction materials.
In addition, according to the SSU, he signed certificates of work performed with inaccurate information about the scope and cost of construction. Based on these documents, the State Treasury Service transferred more than UAH 2.5 million to the contracting organization.
The official has now been charged under Part 2 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (official negligence resulting in grave consequences). The sanction of the article provides for two to five years of imprisonment.
A pre-trial investigation is underway. Law enforcement officers are establishing all the circumstances of the offense and checking for possible involvement of other people.
The prosecutor's office is not naming the official. However, local media reported that the official is Viktor Bychkovsky, a deputy of the Kovel District Council and head of the Security Department of the Executive Committee of the City Council.
Persons potentially involved in corruption schemes: Director of Volyndorbud LLC Vasyl Karach, whose company built this shelter.
Assets: In his 2025 tax return, Bychkovsky indicated that he separately owns a plot of land and, together with his wife Olga, an apartment in the city of Kovel. The official's wife also owns two summer houses.
Bychkovsky's income for the same year was UAH 675,346, his wife's - UAH 90,816. At the same time, the couple did not declare any monetary assets.
Persons who should have reacted: law enforcement agencies responded in a timely manner to the criminal activities of Bychkovsky and his accomplice, charging both with suspicion.
Scandals: Before the corruption scheme, he was not seen as a figure in other scandals.
Sources:
https://public.nazk.gov.ua/documents/e1bce946-6ba3-4ff4-b8f6-7e61c923b9c2