Ukrainian MP Serhii Shakhov, wanted for skipping court appearances over undeclared assets, has been traced to a high-end Dubai residence where he has been living for years.
Shakhov, who left Ukraine in late 2022, has been participating in parliamentary committee meetings via video link from an undisclosed location. Investigative reports now confirm he has been dialing in from a 292-square-meter apartment in Dubai, rented for approximately $100,000 annually.
Leaked property records from a major data trove show the lease is held by Inna Zhurba, identified as the mother of his children. The same documents reveal Zhurba’s passport details and the flat’s address.
Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency has pursued Shakhov since 2023 for failing to appear in court on charges related to hiding $2.1 million in assets from mandatory government declarations. The declarations require public officials to list rented homes, but Shakhov did not report the Dubai apartment.
Earlier investigations uncovered that Shakhov had concealed his relationship with Zhurba and assets registered in her name, including a house, apartments, and land. This led to a criminal case in 2021, and he fled the country after court hearings began the following year.
During a 2023 parliamentary inquiry into his absence, Shakhov claimed he was receiving medical treatment abroad for an unspecified condition and said he had official travel assignments, including meetings in Estonia. However, Estonian authorities denied any such visits.
Social media posts by Shakhov’s adult daughter on TikTok and Telegram show the apartment’s interior, which matches features visible in video recordings of his parliamentary session appearances on YouTube. The posts also reveal that two of his children attend Kent College Dubai, a private school costing over $20,000 per student annually—an expense absent from his asset declarations.
Ukrainian prosecutors have called for Shakhov’s removal from parliament due to his extended absence, but lawmakers have not acted, citing a lack of authority to determine whether an MP has permanently relocated abroad.