Position: Deputy Chief of the Main Police Department in Ivano-Frankivsk region.
Sphere of corrupt activity: law enforcement.
Region of corruption activity: Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil and Zhytomyr regions.
Qualification: the actions are qualified under Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Status: at large, released from custody.
Case story: On May 20, 2026, the Security Service of Ukraine and the Prosecutor General's Office reported the exposure of a corruption scheme in the National Police system, which is related to the cover-up of porn offices in three regions of Ukraine.
According to the investigation, the network was operating in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, and Zhytomyr regions, where erotic and pornographic video content was illegally produced and distributed via the Internet. Law enforcement officers established that the heads of territorial police units could ensure the smooth operation of these porn offices in exchange for a monthly salary.
According to the investigation, the driver of one of the deputy ministers of internal affairs acted as an intermediary in the scheme, who allegedly used personal connections with the leadership of regional police units to organize agreements on non-interference. Within the framework of such agreements, officials did not document violations, did not take response measures and did not warn in advance about possible inspections. The monthly remuneration was about 20 thousand dollars for the leadership of regional police units and another 5 thousand dollars for the intermediary.
Investigators documented several episodes of money transfers. In particular, in February and April 2026, tranches of tens of thousands of dollars were recorded, some of which, according to the investigation, were intended for police officials in various regions.
"Also documented was the transfer of $20,000 to a police officer in another region through his close associate, who was unaware of the criminal intentions. Later, another transfer of $20,000 to the same officer was recorded," the report noted.
On May 20, law enforcement officers detained the intermediary while receiving another tranche of $25,000.
The SBU added that among those detained by law enforcement officers:
· Chief of Police of Ivano-Frankivsk Region Serhiy Bezpalko;
· Deputy Chief of Police of Ivano-Frankivsk Region Volodymyr Yatsyuk;
· First Deputy Chief – Chief of the Investigation Department of the Ternopil Region Police Andriy Tkachyk;
· Deputy Chief of Police of Zhytomyr Region Ilya Gulevatyi.
· the driver of the State Enterprise "Service Center for Units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs", who acted as an intermediary-courier, V. Vorobey.
The post also adds that evidence of illegal activity and money likely obtained through criminal means were seized during the searches.
Currently, in accordance with the crimes committed, the defendants have been notified of suspicion under Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (acceptance of an offer, promise or receipt of an unlawful benefit by an official)
Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko reported that during searches of top officials of the National Police, an elite fleet of six cars, five Swiss watches, firearms and cold weapons, telephones, as well as cash in various currencies totaling over UAH 22.6 million was seized.
According to the Prosecutor General, the driver of the State Enterprise "Center for Service of Units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs", who acted as an intermediary, was charged with incitement and aiding and abetting in the receipt by an official holding a responsible position of an illegal benefit in a particularly large amount for failure to commit actions using his official position in the interests of third parties, in particular, repeatedly and by prior conspiracy by a group of persons under Parts 4, 5 of Article 27, Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The actions of the head of the Main Police Department in Ivano-Frankivsk region, his deputy, as well as the first deputy head of the Main Police Department in Ternopil region and the deputy head of the Main Police Department in Zhytomyr region, were qualified under Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, namely, obtaining by an official holding a responsible position an unlawful benefit in a particularly large amount for himself for the failure of such an official to commit actions in the interests of third parties using his official position, committed in prior collusion by a group of persons.
The leadership of the National Police has suspended officials suspected of covering up porn offices in a number of regions.
The Head of the National Police initiated an internal investigation, as part of which four police officers were suspended from service. Personnel decisions will be made regarding them in the near future based on the results of the internal investigation.
They stressed that they are fully cooperating with the investigation and are interested in establishing all the circumstances of the case. The driver, who appears in the case of covering up porn offices, has been dismissed from his position, the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported.
It later became known that four National Police officials suspected of covering up the activities of porn offices in three regions were released from custody on bail.
On May 21, the Pecherskyi District Court of Kyiv remanded five suspects in custody with the possibility of posting bail ranging from UAH 1 million to UAH 8 million. Four of the suspects are National Police officers. The court set the following bail amounts for them:
· Head of the Main Police Department in Ivano-Frankivsk region Serhiy Bezpalko – UAH 7 million bail;
· Deputy Chief of the Main Police Department in Ivano-Frankivsk region Volodymyr Yatsyuk – UAH 5 million bail;
· First Deputy Head of the Investigation Department of the Main Police Department in Ternopil Region Andriy Tkachyk – UAH 5 million bail;
· Deputy Chief of the Main Police Department in Zhytomyr region Ilya Gulevaty – UAH 1 million 164 thousand bail.
For another suspect – the driver of Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Volodymyr Vorobei – the court set bail at UAH 8 million.
On May 22, the Prosecutor General's Office reported that all the police officers had been released on bail. However, Volodymyr Vorobey remains in custody.
Persons potentially involved in corruption schemes: in addition to Yayucka, the scheme also includes the head of the Main Police Department in Ivano-Frankivsk region Serhiy Bezpalko, the first deputy chief - head of the investigative department of the Ternopil region police Andriy Tkachyk, the deputy chief of the Zhytomyr region police Ilya Gulevaty, and the driver of the state enterprise "Center for Service of Units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs", who acted as an intermediary-courier, V. Vorobey.
Assets: in the declaration for 2025, the Deputy Head of the Main Police Department in Ivano-Frankivsk region, Volodymyr Vasylyovych Yatsyuk, declared significant amounts of cash. Volodymyr Yatsyuk personally owns (100%):
- apartments with an area of 96.7 m² in Khmelnytskyi (2008, cost at the date of acquisition — 98 thousand UAH);
- plots of 1000 m² in the village of Lisovi Hrynivtsi of the Lisovohrynivtsi community (2012);
- 500 m² plots in the village of Khrebtiiv, Novoushytska community (2008);
- 1000 m² plot in the village of Lisovi Hrynivtsi (2023, cost at the date of acquisition - 70 thousand UAH);
- plots of 25 m² in Khmelnytskyi (2024);
- garage 43.8 m² in Khmelnytskyi (2024)
Together with Iryna Vasylivna Zhovtyak (a person who lives together and is not married), he owns 50% of the partial ownership of objects in the village of Baranivka, Yarmolynetsk community, acquired on 05/29/1995:
- house 73.9 m²;
- cellar 39 m²;
- house 45.1 m²;
- garage 21.3 m²;
- sheds 55/21/14/2.7 m².
Iryna Zhovtyak personally owns two plots of land in the village of Baranivka: 114.5 m² (2018) and 563 m² (2020).
The family uses:
- a 50 m² apartment in Ivano-Frankivsk (purchased in 2020, owner - Natalia Kostyantynivna Faldina);
- a room in Ivano-Frankivsk (2019, owner - Main Police Department in Ivano-Frankivsk region, used as a registration address);
- a 28.8 m² apartment in Khmelnytskyi (2019, owner - Natalia Vasylivna Tashetska, registration address of her son and Iryna Zhovtyak).
Son Oleksandr Volodymyrovych Yatsyuk is registered in Khmelnytskyi.
There are no vehicles in the declaration. On June 20, 2025, Yatsyuk sold the car.
In 2025, revenues amounted to:
- Volodymyr Yatsyuk: salary of UAH 975 thousand and income from the sale of movable property of UAH 800 thousand (from Mykola Volodymyrovych Kalynyuk);
- Iryna Zhovtyak: salary of UAH 584 thousand from the DVB of the National Police of Ukraine, income from the sale of movable property of UAH 760 thousand (from Serhiy Olegovich Pasishnyk).
Family's monetary assets:
- Volodymyr Yatsyuk: cash 78.2 thousand dollars, cash 590 thousand UAH, funds in the PrivatBank account 69 thousand UAH;
- Iryna Zhovtyak: cash 75.8 thousand dollars, cash 10 thousand UAH, funds in the PrivatBank account 82 thousand UAH;
- son Oleksandr Yatsyuk: cash 1 thousand dollars.
Persons who should have reacted: law enforcement agencies should have paid attention to the criminal activities of police officers even earlier - in particular, the SBU and the OGPU should have paid attention to the criminal activities.
Scandals: Before the corruption scheme, he was not seen as a figure in other scandals.
Sources:
https://zaxid.net/u_troh_oblastyah_ukrayini_provodyat_obshuki_v_upravlinnyah_natspolitsiyi_n1637446
https://t.me/UA_National_Police/66920
https://zaxid.net/pidozryuvani_u_krishuvanni_pornoofisiv_politseyski_viyshli_z_pid_varti_n1637692
https://public.nazk.gov.ua/documents/1f2511a2-da08-4191-b8b0-486ef4bc06b3