Today, investigators from the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) announced that a notice of suspicion had been issued to the Mayor of Irpin, Oleksandr Markushyn. According to SBI materials, he is suspected of illegally crossing the border in August 2022 for leisure purposes, using forged documents to unlawfully register in the volunteer system “Shlyakh.” Furthermore, upon returning to Ukraine, Markushyn did not declare any humanitarian aid.
The case against Oleksandr Markushyn is strikingly similar to that of MP Oleksandr Dubinsky, who allegedly left Ukraine under the pretense of accompanying his father for medical treatment but instead went on vacation. Dubinsky has been indicted for organizing illegal border crossings, and his case is currently in court.
Mayor Markushyn crossed the Ukrainian-Polish border on August 24, 2022, through the “Rava-Ruska-Khrebenne” checkpoint, returning on August 30, 2022, via the “Dolgobyczów-Uhryniv” checkpoint. He made the crossing in a 2020 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT (license plate AI 5550BT) owned by a Ukrainian citizen, Serhii Haïna, and used by Markushyn without charge.
The only legitimate basis for Markushyn’s travel abroad would have been an official business trip. However, during August 24-30, 2022, he was on official leave, as confirmed by the official trip log, and his duties were being performed by the First Deputy Mayor.
Markushyn’s trip lasted six days. For two of those days, August 27-28, 2022, he was in Italy, where he visited his former family at the “Roses Hotel” in Abruzzo, Teramo Province. According to journalists, he spent the remaining four days on vacation.
Markushyn has been charged under Part 2 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (organizing illegal transportation of individuals across the state border of Ukraine), which carries a penalty of up to three years of imprisonment and disqualification from holding certain positions or engaging in certain activities for up to three years.