**Ukraine’s Top Court Judge Lives Rent-Free in Luxury Apartment Owned by Russian Niece**
In a shocking revelation, Ukraine’s Supreme Court Judge Nadiia Stefaniv has been living rent-free in a $375,000 luxury apartment in Kyiv owned by her Russian niece, Valentyna Khoroshavtseva. The findings come from an investigation by Schemy, the investigative journalism unit of Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
**A Luxury Apartment with Questionable Origins**
The 2,207-square-foot apartment is located in the upscale Andersen residential complex in central Kyiv and was purchased in June 2016 by Khoroshavtseva, a citizen of the Russian Federation. However, when contacted by journalists, Khoroshavtseva denied owning any apartments, abruptly ending the call.
**Income Doesn’t Match Property Value**
The apartment was declared at ₴1.8 million (about $135,000 USD), but real estate listings show its market value to be ₴5 million (approximately $375,000 USD). Khoroshavtseva’s total official income in Russia from 2008 to 2016 was around ₴600,000 or $45,000 USD, which is not enough to afford even the declared price, let alone the market value.
**More Properties Owned by Khoroshavtseva**
Judge Stefaniv’s daughter, Nadiia Mykytyn, also lives in a property owned by Khoroshavtseva. The 1,055-square-foot apartment was acquired for around ₴400,000 (~$50,000 USD) in 2011 when Khoroshavtseva was just 23 years old. Another apartment and a garage are also owned by Khoroshavtseva.
**Contradictory Explanation from Judge Stefaniv**
Judge Stefaniv claimed that her relatives planned to relocate to Ukraine and purchased property using money from selling real estate in Russia. However, her sister Oksana Khoroshavtseva died in January 2016, five months before the Kyiv apartment was purchased.
**Connection to Russian Nuclear Industry**
Khoroshavtseva’s husband worked at the Siberian Chemical Combine, a Russian state enterprise that produces materials supporting the Kremlin’s nuclear weapons program. His income and lifestyle suggest that they had access to significant resources.
**Legal Concerns Over Hidden Assets**
Experts warn that using foreign relatives to hold property may be a tactic to conceal assets from anti-corruption scrutiny. “A judge can hide assets potentially obtained illegally by registering them under relatives in Russia,” said Karina Hasymova from the anti-corruption watchdog DEJURE Foundation.
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