UKRAINE Trends and Developments Contributed by: Denys Bugay, Volodymyr Vashchenko, Denys Shkarovsky and Oleksandr Lukianenko, VB Partners
from more than 67 countries for the purpose of detect - ing and investigating cross-border corruption offences and recovering diverted assets. Another important area has been NABU’s co-oper - ation with the Basel Institute on Governance and UNODC in enhancing the capacity of its detectives to conduct financial investigations. The National Bureau has also played a pivotal role in preparing Ukraine’s application to accede to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, which the govern - ment formally submitted in February of this year. On extradition Securing the extradition of suspects and defendants, particularly in high-profile white-collar crime cases, has been and remains one of the priorities of law enforcement authorities. During 2022–2023, courts in foreign jurisdictions refused to grant extraditions to Ukraine owing to the consequences of the full-scale invasion: • the inability to ensure the safety of detainees – the absence of properly equipped shelters and the lack of evacuation during air raids; and • Ukraine’s derogation from certain human rights obligations. In 2024–2025, however, the position of competent authorities in foreign jurisdictions changed: requests began to be granted, and individuals started to be extradited to Ukraine. Several factors contributed to this shift.
1. Throughout 2024, the General Prosecutor’s Office, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, engaged in formal and informal dialogue with the competent authorities of foreign states, persuading them of the feasibility of granting extradition requests to Ukraine. 2. The General Prosecutor’s Office provided individu - alised assurances regarding the rights of extradited persons: • significant improvements in conditions of detention in custodial facilities; • detention centres situated away from combat zones, with renovated premises; and • guarantees of the right to defence and a fair trial. 3. Ukraine commenced the construction of penal and pre-trial detention facilities specifically for holding extradited individuals. As a result, the number of extraditions during 2024– 2025 increased four-fold compared with 2022–2023. In particular, 75 individuals were extradited to Ukraine in 2024, and 26 more during the first two months of 2025. This demonstrates that the trend towards extra - dition to Ukraine is strengthening, and that the risks of war are no longer regarded by foreign courts as sufficient grounds for refusing extradition. In the first half of 2025, the General Prosecutor’s Office prepared 155 extradition requests to Ukraine. Extradition therefore remains a priority area of work for Ukrainian law enforcement authorities.
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