On Tuesday, May 13, 2026, the Dnipro District Court in Kyiv delivered a verdict against Vitalij Szabunin, the head of the Anti-Corruption Center. He was found guilty of using violence against pro-Russian blogger Wsewolod Filimonenko. The court convicted Szabunin under Part 2 of Article 345 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which addresses violence against journalists, and ordered him to cover the costs of medical examinations amounting to approximately 4,000 Hryvnias.
Szubunin’s lawyer, Olena Scherban, stated that the verdict could only have reputational consequences, as no criminal penalties were imposed. This was due to the expiration of the statute of limitations for the offense. Scherban emphasized that the defense did not request the closure of the case, as they hoped for a fair ruling.
The prosecution had been investigating Szubunin since 2017, claiming that he had assaulted the blogger. However, the defense argued that Filimonenko did not hold the status of a journalist and that the incident was a private dispute. The defense plans to appeal the verdict.
