Position: Deputy Head of a Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) unit in Lviv Region.
Area of Corrupt Activity: Railway transport.
Region of Corrupt Activity: Lviv Region.
Legal Qualification: The actions are classified under Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Status: At liberty.
Case Details: In early October 2026, the Drohobych City District Court of Lviv Region handed down a verdict against Vasyl Yurkiv, deputy head of a Ukrzaliznytsia unit in Lviv Region, for bribery. According to the investigation, the official demanded bribes from a private company in exchange for expediting railcar repairs. He was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment with confiscation of property. The regional prosecutor’s office reported that the court proceedings had concluded.
According to the case materials, the deputy head of the railcar depot had established a scheme to receive bribes from an entrepreneur.
In September 2023, the railway company signed an agreement with a private company engaged in freight rail transportation. The agreement provided for the repair of the company's railcars. After that, the official demanded that the company's representative pay UAH 2,000 for the expedited repair of each railcar. If the company refused, the work could be deliberately delayed, resulting in financial losses for the business.
The money was to be transferred to the bank card of the official’s mother. In total, the deputy head of the railcar depot received UAH 37,000.
Law enforcement officers exposed the railway official in early 2024.
During the trial, the defendant partially admitted his guilt. He claimed that the representative of the private company had independently offered to pay an additional UAH 2,000 for the repair of each railcar. The deputy depot head maintained that he used the money to provide additional payments to subordinate workers, whose salaries were extremely low.
Judge Zoriana Pavliv found Vasyl Yurkiv guilty of accepting an unlawful benefit (Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment with confiscation of property. He was also barred from holding positions involving the performance of organizational and administrative functions in state authorities and local self-government bodies. The verdict may still be appealed.
In early December 2025, LVIV.MEDIA reported, citing a court ruling, that Viktor Onyshkevych, head of the Drohobych repair depot, and his deputy, Vasyl Yurkiv, had been acquitted in a bribery case. At the time, they were accused of demanding UAH 84,000 in exchange for expediting repairs to 42 railcars. However, the court found insufficient evidence of their guilt.
Individuals Potentially Involved in Corruption Schemes: Open sources contain no information about possible accomplices.
Assets: No income declarations for Vasyl Yurkiv are available in open sources.
Authorities Responsible for Responding: Law enforcement agencies responded promptly to Yurkiv’s alleged criminal activity by notifying him of suspicion.
Scandals: Before the alleged corruption scheme came to light, Yurkiv had not been publicly associated with any other scandals.
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