Anatolii Hunko

Biography

Anatolii Hunko became a People’s Deputy of the IX convocation. Hunko won a by-election (district #208, Bakhmach, Borzna, Kulykivka, Mena, and Talalaivka districts, and part of the Ichnia district of the Chernihiv region). The by-election was held due to the death of the previous MP from this district, Valerii Davydenko.

Hunko ran as a non-partisan candidate from the “Servant of the People” party. He was elected a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Legal Policy. Subsequently, he was expelled from the “Servant of the People” faction due to suspicion of corruption and joined the “Restoration of Ukraine” parliamentary group, which was created by representatives of the banned OPZZH party.

Hunko became a subject of anti-corruption investigations. In 2025, the High Anti-Corruption Court found Hunko guilty of soliciting and receiving a bribe of 85,000 dollars and sentenced him to 7 years in prison with confiscation of all property and deprivation of the right to hold certain positions.

Notably, before becoming a People’s Deputy from the party of power, he ran for parliament in 2019 from “Batkivshchyna” in the neighboring district #209 (Nizhyn city, as well as Varva, Nizhyn, Nosivka, and Sribne districts and part of the Ichnia district of the Chernihiv region). At that time, he took third place, receiving 25% (17,345 votes). In 2015, he ran for the Kyiv Regional Council from the “Nash Krai” party as a non-partisan candidate in electoral district #34, but the party did not enter the regional council.

His wife, Nataliia Hunko, was twice a deputy of the Kyiv Regional Council (in 2020 from “Servant of the People,” and in 2015 from “Oleh Liashko’s Radical Party”). From 2021 to 2023, she served as the Chairperson of the Kyiv Regional Council.

Hunko was a co-founder of the construction company “Inter-Profit,” head of the construction firm “Budtekhspilka,” and director of the “Hildiia Prava” (Guild of Law) company. Additionally, he chaired the supervisory board of the charitable foundation of this company and headed the civic organization “Pravozakhyst Plus.”

Timeline of Key Events

2026

At the beginning of February 2026, the Security Service of Ukraine, together with the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, exposed Hunko in land schemes involving the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences worth 30 million UAH.

According to the case file, during 2021–2023, the deputy used agricultural land under his control to grow and illegally sell wholesale batches of grain through a network of affiliated companies. This involved over 2,500 tonnes of agricultural products. To implement the scheme, the MP involved a Kyiv Regional Council deputy, two heads of state-owned enterprises of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences, and a trusted person.

Ultimately, Hunko was stripped of his powers as a People’s Deputy after the verdict of the Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court entered into force.

2025

The High Anti-Corruption Court found Hunko guilty of soliciting and receiving a bribe of 85,000 dollars and sentenced him to 7 years in prison with confiscation of all property and deprivation of the right to hold certain positions. Until the verdict entered into force, Hunko was required to wear an electronic tag. In his final statement, the politician asked to be acquitted, and after the verdict was announced, he noted that he would appeal it.

The politician voted for the liquidation of the independence of anti-corruption bodies—the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (project #12414). After the law was passed, a protest began near Bankova Street, but Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the law the same day. Subsequently, the President submitted a project that restored the independence of the anti-corruption bodies. By the end of July, as a result of public pressure and pressure from international partners, the parliamentary majority voted for project #13533, which returned powers to the anti-corruption bodies.

The deputy also supported the project regarding a special procedure for the compulsory alienation of land in the Uzhhorod district of the Zakarpattia region (#9549). The initiative contained a number of scandalous provisions that create risks for both deforestation and the development of a corruption scheme for the purchase of real estate from “necessary” people at the expense of the budget at prices 3–3.6 times higher than the market rate. The specified norms violated a number of provisions of the Constitution, so the President exercised his veto. Despite this, the deputies ignored most of the remarks during the revision. Among other things, during the revision for the second reading, norms were added to the law that legalize until the beginning of 2028 a corruption scheme of local self-government bodies to develop detailed plans contrary to the provisions of the master plans of settlements.

In the same year, Hunko voted for the so-called “Ihor Mazepa Law” (project #12089). This is a legislative initiative that essentially reflected the demands of unscrupulous business. The law provides for the “resetting” of claims against those who grabbed forest and coastal strips if 10 years have passed since the grab occurred and they fell into private hands. This means that all such grabs that occurred over the last decade can be legalized. If the 10-year term for the grab has not yet passed, then before filing a lawsuit to save the property, the value of the property desired to be returned must be placed on deposit from the state or local budget. Despite the fact that a petition demanding a veto on the law gathered over 25,000 signatures, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the document. The first victim of the “Ihor Mazepa Law” was the case concerning Protasiv Yar, which was defended by the late scout and Kyiv resident Roman Ratushnyi.

In the same year, he supported the scandalous project by Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, which abolished the Commercial Code of Ukraine (#6013). The initiators of this law declared an expansion of economic freedoms, but the Law abolished the fundamental norms of state-business interaction and the principles of managing economic activity in the state and communal sectors of the economy. A number of civic organizations emphasized that this law carries risks for national security and that its adoption would result in a large-scale redistribution of the country, given that the Verkhovna Rada had not approved a list of property exempt from privatization.

2024

The deputy became one of 212 MPs who voted for bill #10242 on pressure on journalists and their sources. This bill created serious risks for freedom of speech, the activities of journalists, and the protection of their sources and whistleblowers. Under the guise of combating “data abuse,” it was proposed to amend the Criminal Code, providing for increased penalties for disclosing information from state registers during martial law—up to 8 years in prison, with no exceptions for journalists or whistleblowers.

He voted against bill #8371, which provided for a ban on the activities in Ukraine of religious organizations that have a governing centre in a state carrying out armed aggression against Ukraine.

In the same year, Hunko did not appear in court, for which he received a fine.

2023

He supported project #7457 “On the Legalization of Medical Cannabis,” which allowed the production of medical cannabis in Ukraine for the rehabilitation of wounded military personnel, including for the treatment of PTSD. The adoption of the law was advocated by the “Patients of Ukraine” civic organization.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office exposed Hunko and two of his accomplices taking a bribe, having received the first part of the money in the amount of 85,000 dollars from an entrepreneur for leasing state land. In total, the bribe was intended to be 221,000 dollars. According to the investigation, for the money, Hunko promised to help the businessman obtain state land belonging to the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences. At that time, the MP was notified of suspicion under the article on receiving an undue benefit (part 4 of Art. 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and a precautionary measure was chosen in the form of detention with the right to post bail (30 million UAH). Subsequently, the appeal of the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine left the precautionary measure unchanged. In the same year, the MP appeared at a Verkhovna Rada session, having left the pre-trial detention center on bail of 10 million UAH.

As a result of judicial investigations, Hunko was expelled from the “Servant of the People” faction due to suspicion of corruption. Subsequently, the deputy joined the “Restoration of Ukraine” parliamentary group. The majority of this party consisted of representatives of the banned pro-Russian “Opposition Platform — For Life” party. This move allowed for ensuring the further activity of the group, the number of which again met the established minimum of 17 People’s Deputies in the IX convocation of the Verkhovna Rada.

Also this year, the court recognized that Hunko had written a parliamentary inquiry in a conflict of interest. He sent the document to the National Police in a case that directly concerned himself.

2022

He supported the law #2693-d “On Media,” which provided for the relaxation of restrictions on Russian content and performers, the introduction of regulation for online media, the activities of bloggers, and various web platforms. The document also provided for the expansion of the powers of the regulator—the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting. The adoption of this was one of the conditions for starting negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU. At the same time, journalistic, media, and civic organizations, media outlets, and social media users appealed to the authorities regarding this bill. The appeal stated that the law violated the right to freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution of Ukraine and the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

He voted for the urban planning “reform” #5655, authored by the head of the “Servant of the People” party, Olena Shuliak. The civic sector and media criticized this legislative initiative; the Royal Institute Chatham House (UK) emphasized that with such rules of the game, there are every chance for the emergence of construction cartels. The European Parliament warned President Zelenskyy against signing this law, and the European Commission also provided its critical remarks.

In this year, the National Agency on Corruption Prevention drew up an administrative protocol against Hunko because he received a “Breguet” watch worth over 10,000 dollars as a gift from his assistant. This happened on the first day of the full-scale war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. But subsequently, the court stated that the case materials did not indicate a link showing that the assistant wanted to influence the pro-government deputy through the gift, and therefore, an administrative offense is absent in this case.

He was elected a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Legal Policy.

In the same year, Hunko did not vote when the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine proposed that the National Security and Defense Council impose sanctions against deputies of the Russian State Duma who initiated the recognition of the “L/DNR” terrorist organizations as independent states. However, the deputy was present at the session. He explained this by saying he had left the session hall at that moment.

2021

Journalists from “Schemes” noticed the car of Hunko and his wife near Koncha Zaspa Park, where representatives of the party of power were holding a meeting during quarantine restrictions.

2020

He became a People’s Deputy of the IX convocation. Hunko won a by-election (district #208, Bakhmach, Borzna, Kulykivka, Mena, and Talalaivka districts, and part of the Ichnia district of the Chernihiv region). The by-election was held due to the death of the previous MP from this district, Valerii Davydenko. Hunko ran as a non-partisan candidate from the “Servant of the People” party. Receiving 34.1% of the vote, he overtook his main opponent and leader of the “Radical Party,” Oleh Liashko, who received 31.78%.

2019

He ran for the Verkhovna Rada from “Batkivshchyna” in district #209 (Nizhyn city, as well as Varva, Nizhyn, Nosivka, and Sribne districts and part of the Ichnia district of the Chernihiv region). At that time, he took third place, receiving 25% (17,345 votes).

During the election campaign, Hunko organized concerts by various performers in the cities and villages of the Chernihiv region. In particular, a concert by Olya Polyakova in Nizhyn, concerts by the “Freestyle” band in the city of Nosivka, and Pavlo Dvorskyi in the urban-type settlement of Sribne, as well as several performances by Pavlo Zibrov, who received 30,000 UAH from Hunko’s election fund. In addition, observers recorded vote-buying by candidate Hunko. Also, according to journalists, the politician used Kyiv Regional Council vehicles for his own campaigning.

2018

The investigation considered Hunko as the organizer of a criminal group that, circumventing the law, appropriated a land plot of the “Radio Transmission Center” enterprise, while destroying strategic equipment on it. In particular, the prosecutor and the head of the Kyiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office accused Hunko of appropriating over 115 hectares of land worth 120 million UAH, which belonged to this enterprise in Brovary. Subsequently, in 2019, the criminal proceeding was closed due to a lack of evidence. And already in 2020, the MP initiated a court process with the goal of recovering moral damages for “illegal criminal prosecution.” The court recognized that the prosecutor and the head of the Kyiv Regional National Police Department “disseminated negative information about Hunko” regarding his involvement in the appropriation of the land plot. As a result, the Pecherskyi District Court awarded the MP 2 million UAH in moral compensation.

2015

He ran for the Kyiv Regional Council from the “Nash Krai” party (non-partisan) in electoral district #34. However, the party did not enter the regional council. At that time, the politician worked as the director of “Hildiia Prava” LLC.

2013

In Brovary, local authorities decided to transfer 96 hectares of land of the former state enterprise “Radio Transmission Center” to 48 citizens for conducting personal peasant farming. Soon, all these plots were united under the use of the private enterprise “Inter-Profit,” among whose beneficiaries Hunko was listed. In the same year, the city council changed the designated purpose of the lands to industrial development, explaining this by the possibility of locating a foreign pharmaceutical company on the factory grounds. However, such intentions were refuted, and the project itself was presented by the “Tekhenerhotreid” company, associated with businessman Volodymyr Polishchuk. Polishchuk had family ties to the ex-president of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev. In 2015, the court imposed an arrest on the disputed land plots.

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