Mariana Bezuhla

Biography

Mariana Bezuhla is a Member of Parliament of the 9th convocation. In 2019, she was elected to parliament representing the “Servant of the People” party (district #217, Kyiv, Obolon district), joining the party after her electoral victory. Until 2024, she served as Deputy Chair of the Committee on National Security, Defence, and Intelligence. Following her removal from that position due to controversial statements, she moved to the Committee on Foreign Policy and Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation.

She left the “Servant of the People” faction and was added to the controversial “Myrotvorets” (Peacemaker) database for discrediting state authorities during wartime.

Mariana Bezuhla actively comments on national security and defence, particularly regarding the reform of military medicine and the implementation of NATO values. Her remarks often provoke criticism, as they frequently exceed acceptable political and ethical boundaries.

MP Mariana Bezuhla has publicly stated that she has Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism spectrum disorder (neurodivergent thinking). She explains that she processes emotions differently, has a high fear threshold, and thinks through structures, algorithms, and logic—as if she were “data in a database” that forms her conclusions. Bezuhla notes that some of her colleagues were aware of this diagnosis and used the information against her. However, in her view, she has managed to turn her traits into a “weapon” to achieve her own political goals, with a priority on state service given the war that has been ongoing since 2014.

Her statement regarding Asperger’s syndrome sparked public discussion, particularly concerning its impact on political activity and work in government structures. As an MP, Bezuhla has access to state secrets. However, she herself emphasises the problem of the stigmatisation of such traits in society and considers the diagnosis to be part of her identity, not a defect.

A number of media outlets link Bezuhla’s activities to the Presidential Office, alleging that the Office uses her to voice controversial messages. Media reports emphasise that Bezuhla frequently enters political discourse, and her statements are sometimes used as a reflection of the ruling team’s position or to change the information landscape and shift public attention.

Timeline of Key Events

2026

Voted in the first reading for the controversial draft Civil Code (15150) submitted by the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk. The 803-page draft, which the Ministry of Justice had not managed to review within three weeks of registration, was fast-tracked through parliament. The legislative initiative contained provisions allowing for the carve-up of state and municipal property—forests, coastlines, and subsoil resources. Additionally, the project contained risks to freedom of speech. Following the parliamentary vote, street protests broke out in several regions. A petition demanding a veto garnered over 25,000 signatures on the first day of registration. Judges of the Supreme Court also expressed substantial objections. The draft Civil Code, which had not undergone proper discussion, effectively destroyed judicial practice developed over 20 years.

2025

Supported a government-backed bill that restricted the powers of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) while strengthening the powers of the Prosecutor General (#12414). According to a number of NGOs, including Transparency International Ukraine, the bill posed a direct threat to the independence of the NABU, a key anti-corruption institution created with the support of international partners to be protected from political influence. The European Commission considered the adoption of this law a serious step backward.

Bezuhla announced that millions in bonuses were being paid to the “General Staff of the Armed Forces.” The Command of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine emphasised that these were incentives for all categories of servicemen—sailors, sergeants, petty officers, and officers.

2024

The Verkhovna Rada dismissed Bezuhla from the post of Deputy Chair of the Committee on National Security, and prior to that, she was recalled from the position of Chair of the Subcommittee on Civilian Democratic Control. This personnel decision was initiated by committee members almost unanimously following a series of her controversial statements.

The MP stated that a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet was downed by friendly fire from Ukraine’s own air defence. The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine denied this version and accused the MP of fueling Russian propaganda. As of 2025, the investigation is ongoing, and there is no final official answer regarding the causes of the plane crash.

In the same year, the MP filed a complaint with the SBU, the State Bureau of Investigation (DBR), and the Office of the Prosecutor General against Oleksandr Syrskyi and Valerii Zaluzhnyi, accusing them of “obstructing activities” and “dismantling the capabilities of the Armed Forces.”

Bezuhla was added to the controversial “Myrotvorets” website and accused of discrediting state authorities. The following day, she announced that she had left the “Servant of the People” faction, emphasising that she did not need a “weak faction and party” during wartime, although earlier that same year she had stated she decided to remain in the faction so as “not to let the President down during difficult times.” She was subsequently expelled from the party.

Eventually, Bezuhla became a member of the Committee on Foreign Policy and Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation.

2023

Accused Valerii Zaluzhnyi of lacking a plan for military operations for 2024 and called on the leadership of the Armed Forces to resign. The MP’s statement sparked intense debate and a predominantly negative public reaction.

2022

Submitted, as the sole author, Draft Law #7351, which granted commanders in combat conditions the right to use lethal force against servicemen to stop them from committing criminal offences (disobedience, resistance, unauthorised absence, etc.). Following public outcry, the bill was withdrawn.

In the same year, journalists criticised Bezuhla’s direct involvement in military command in the Luhansk region, emphasising that the army should operate without politicians and the “Dark Knight” from the Presidential Office.

2021

Headed a Verkhovna Rada Temporary Investigative Commission that investigated the failure of a special operation to detain “Wagner” mercenaries. The commission concluded that there was no information leak.

2019

Became a People’s Deputy representing “Servant of the People” and was appointed Deputy Chair of the Committee on National Security, Defence, and Intelligence. At the time of her election, she worked as a senior inspector for monitoring the execution of instructions in the Department of Civilian Experts at the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff headquarters in the Service Support Centre. After her electoral victory, she joined the “Servant of the People” party.

2015

She was mobilised to the front, serving in the 128th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a combat medic. The following year, she returned to Kyiv, where she began working on the reform of the Armed Forces’ medical services.

The editorial team of the “Pohliad” media outlet contributed to the creation of this profile.

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