Ukraine's Anti-Corruption Court marks seven years: hundreds of verdicts, billions in seized assets

Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) marks seven years since its first court session on September 5. Over this period the court has operated through both the pandemic and full-scale war, expanded its staff, and held two rounds of judicial selection competitions.

Statistics show rapid growth

In its first seven months, HACC issued only three verdicts, but over seven years that number has surpassed 400. By comparison, from 2016 until HACC's creation in 2019, ordinary courts issued around 40 verdicts total in cases brought by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office — about 10 per year. HACC tripled that rate within its first years and issued 109 verdicts in 2025 alone, 11 times the pre-HACC rate. Only 35 rulings have been overturned on appeal or cassation. Growth has also been driven by a rising number of plea agreements and a sharp increase in civil forfeiture cases — from 7 in 2023 to 45 in 2025. In sanctions-related cases, 79 rulings have been issued, confiscating assets from 96 sanctioned individuals, with proceeds directed to a fund for eliminating the consequences of armed aggression.

High-profile cases and convictions

The seventh year has been marked by high-profile suspicions against officials, including the "Midas" case involving influence over strategic state enterprises, in which detention or bail was imposed on former energy minister Herman Halushchenko, former deputy prime minister Oleksiy Chernyshov and others. Bail was also set for "Batkivshchyna" party leader Yulia Tymoshenko and former Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak. Convictions included former State Fiscal Service head Roman Nasirov (6 years), fugitive ex-president Viktor Yanukovych sentenced in absentia to 15 years for land seizure, and lawmaker Liudmyla Marchenko (2 years for bribery). Former Supreme Court chief Vsevolod Kniaziev pleaded guilty, receiving 5 years and transferring $1.25 million to the state along with $1 million to support Ukraine's armed forces. Several judges were also convicted of bribery.

Ongoing challenges

Despite its achievements, the court has faced pressure, including attempts to question its very existence before the Constitutional Court and an explosion in its courtyard. Some high-profile cases remain unresolved since the court's founding, and HACC has never had a proper permanent building throughout its seven years.