The Prosecutor Generalʼs Office of Russia reported the arrest in absentia of the former leader of the “Motherland” party Yulia Tymoshenko.
This became known from Russian media.
Tymoshenko is involved in the so-called military fakes case. According to the Russian investigation, she published “knowingly false information” on one of the social networks about the involvement of Russian military personnel in the killings of civilians in Bucha and Irpin.
The Russian prosecutorʼs office claims that these actions were committed out of political and ideological hatred. In July 2024, the Russian authorities already put Yulia Tymoshenko on the international wanted list.
Advancing on Kyiv at the start of a full-scale invasion in 2022, Russian forces attempted to control Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel in order to encircle and besiege Kyiv from the west. The Ukrainian Armed Forces regained control of Bucha on March 31, 2022.
In total, during the occupation, Russian invaders committed over 9 000 war crimes and killed over 1 700 civilians in the Bucha district of the Kyiv region.
The case of Yulia Tymoshenko
On January 13, NABU and SAPO stated that the head of one of the factions in the Verkhovna Rada offered to “buy” the votes of MPs from other factions. As it later turned out, this was the head of the “Motherland” faction Yulia Tymoshenko.
Tymoshenko confirmed that searches were conducted at the “Motherland” party office throughout the night of January 13-14. The MP denied all charges. She added that her phones, parliamentary documents, and personal savings were taken from her.
On January 14, Yulia Tymoshenko was informed of suspicion under Part 4 of Article 369 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — offering a bribe to an official. This is punishable by imprisonment for 5 to 10 years with possible confiscation of property.
NABU and SAPO also released recordings of a wiretap of a conversation allegedly between Tymoshenko and an MP, where she explains in Russian in a whisper how and for what to vote.
The investigation also recorded that Tymoshenko discussed the transfer of funds with the MP in the Signal messenger, where she also gave instructions on voting. They concerned not only draft laws, but also personnel decisions of the parliament.
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