02.05.2025 Investigations Kharkiv Tenders

Mezentsev and Fedorenko’s “servants”: land schemes, fake rugby and 50 million for sports in frontline Kharkiv

At a time when Ukraine is fighting the aggressor and thousands of athletes are unable to train because of the war, some officials and politicians are using budget funds for their own enrichment. In 2023, 50 million hryvnias were allocated for training camps in Kharkiv region alone, an amount that is many times higher than funding for similar programs in other regions. Of this amount, UAH 11 million was allocated to support rugby, a sport that is not very popular in Ukraine.

The central figures in this scheme are MP Maria Mezentseva from the Servant of the People party, the president of the Kharkiv Oblast Rugby Federation, and Mezentseva’s assistant Roman Bykhov. Under their “roof” is the head of the Department for Youth and Sports of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, Kostiantyn Ananchenko, who has a dubious past and ties to the anti-Maidan movement.

By the way, the husband of the aforementioned Mezentseva’s servant, Yuriy Fedorenko, is a Kyiv City Council member from the Servant of the People party and a member of the land commission. According to Bihus.Info investigations, Fedorenko is a key link in land schemes related to Kyiv City Hall, in particular with Klitschko, Komarnytskyi and Palatnyi. He is called a “bridge” between the Servants of the People and the Kyiv authorities, who ensures that votes for land allocation are taken for bribes.

Fedorenko uses the money for PR, positioning himself as a “great warrior” and “Achilles” commander. However, the patriotic rhetoric hides a banal embezzler who, together with his wife, built a system of enrichment. Interestingly, Kyiv City Council member Olena Marchenko mentioned in private conversations that she had addressed Fedorenko with certain “requests,” which may indicate his role as a mere “decision maker.”

Non-transparent funding: 44 million for sports, but where is the reporting?

According to data from the State Treasury Service, between January 1 and December 1, 2023, UAH 44,114,081 was allocated for training camps in Olympic and non-Olympic sports in Ukraine. These funds were supposed to be used to train athletes in such sports as boxing, basketball, athletics, swimming, and dozens of others. However, a significant portion of the funding – 11 million hryvnias – was allocated to rugby, a sport played by only a few hundred people in Ukraine.

Why rugby? The answer is simple: this sport is actively lobbied for by Maria Mezentseva, who controls financial flows through her assistant Roman Bykhov and the Kharkiv Oblast Rugby Federation. While popular sports such as football or boxing receive minimal funding, rugby absorbed a quarter of the total budget of the STC in Kharkiv region.

There is no financial reporting on the use of these funds. The Department of Youth and Sports of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, headed by Kostyantyn Ananchenko, systematically refuses to provide information upon request, which is a direct violation of the law. Isn’t this a reason for suspicion?

Misappropriation scheme: how fictitious STPs work

The scheme of misappropriation of budgetary funds looks simple: the heads of sports federations, in particular the Rugby Federation, send letters to the Department of Youth and Sports of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration about the STE, attaching lists of participants and venues. Often these lists include non-existent athletes, and the events are not held at all.

The Department issues an order to hold the STE and allocates funds, including per diem (190 UAH per day per participant). However, most of this money ends up in the pockets of the organizers. No documents are provided to confirm the meeting, payment for accommodation or rental of halls. The funds are transferred to personal cards of the heads of the federations, who use them at their own discretion. The Head of the Department, Kostiantyn Ananchenko, personally controls the distribution of funds and reports to the leadership of the Kharkiv Regional Administration.

Who’s in the know?

MP Maria Mezentseva of the Servant of the People party is a key figure in this story. As the head of the subcommittee on the approximation of Ukrainian legislation to the EU, she positions herself as a progressive politician, but in fact she coordinates corruption schemes in the sports sector. Her influence provides a “roof” for Ananchenko and Bykhov, and protects the schemes from investigations.

Mezentseva actively lobbies for rugby funding through the Rugby Federation of Ukraine and Kharkiv Region, using her status to put pressure on officials. Her assistant Roman Bykhov not only heads the Kharkiv Oblast Rugby Federation, but also acts as an intermediary in financial fraud.

Together with the former president of the Ukrainian Rugby Federation, Yevhen Bazhenov, Bykhov gradually seized control of the federation’s finances. Since November 2024, the organization has been functioning without legitimate leadership, which gave Bykhov the opportunity to dispose of funds uncontrollably.

Bykhov organized numerous trips of the teams abroad under the guise of sporting events. However, in fact, these trips were used to take men of military age out of Ukraine to avoid mobilization. Many of the men did not return home.

In addition, Bykhov misappropriated budget funds allocated for the training of athletes. For example, during the international rugby-15 tournament in Slovakia (November 9, 2024), athletes from Kharkiv region participated at the expense of the state budget and private sponsors, but the funds allocated by the Department disappeared. A similar situation occurred during the European Beach Rugby Championships in Moldova (August 31-September 1, 2024), where instead of training camps, the team participated in competitions that did not meet the purpose of the funding.

Bykhov does not hide his luxurious lifestyle: he has already bought two luxury cars (Mercedes-Benz S-class and BMW X7) and does not hesitate to wear jewelry and Rolex watches, which clearly does not correspond to his official income. He positions himself as a philanthropist, but his “patronage” is just an embezzlement of state and sponsorship funds.

Konstantin Ananchenko, head of the Department for Youth and Sports of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, is another key link in the scheme. He reportedly took part in the dispersal of peaceful protests during the anti-Maidan protests under Yanukovych, and later became an “active participant” in sports life. His appointment raises questions, as Ananchenko does not have the necessary qualifications and has a dubious reputation.

MMA and paid training

In addition to rugby, Mezentseva and Ananchenko’s group earns money from mixed martial arts (MMA) competitions. With the support of Artem Blank, vice president of the National MMA Federation, and Ruslan Bayramov, deputy head of the department, the organizers charge fees for training and participation in competitions. Often, participants are fictitiously registered to travel abroad, which allows controlled persons to leave Ukraine under the guise of sporting events.

Why are law enforcement agencies silent?

Despite numerous facts of abuse, there is no reaction from law enforcement agencies. The Prosecutor General’s Office and the NABU do not respond to requests to investigate the activities of Mezentseva and her assistants, Bykhov and Ananchenko.

Although the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation in criminal proceedings No. 42025220000000016 under Part 4 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the case was gradually forgotten due to the political influence of the Servant of the People.

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