Zelensky confirmed the return of Chernishov from a foreign business trip and urged him to return to Ukraine immediately
President Volodymyr Zelensky officially announced that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Unity Oleksii Chernishov is currently abroad on a business leave, and after this assignment it is expected that he will return to the Ukrainian capital. The head of state made this statement during a recent meeting with journalists, although representatives of "Ukrainska Pravda" were not officially invited by the press service to cover this information. According to Zelensky, he was informed about this by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, who confirmed that Chernishov is on a business trip. The president explained that the main purpose of the deputy premier’s visit was to establish the operation of Ukrainian hubs in various foreign countries — a project that is one of the key elements of Ukraine’s diplomatic and economic strategy on the international stage. Additionally, Zelensky noted that Oleksii Chernishov was performing another task, which is especially important for a government official — fighting against multiple citizenship. Since these two issues are reportedly actively being addressed at the moment, the president emphasized that his deputy must return to the country immediately after the trip concludes. The head of state emphasized that there are no facts or confirmations regarding any changes in the composition of the Ukrainian government, dismissing rumors circulating in some media outlets. He stated, "There has been no conversation about this with Shmyhal," and expressed respectful attitude towards the Prime Minister’s work, especially after years of full-scale war, which, according to Zelensky, has united and strengthened the cohesion of the Ukrainian government. The background of this situation is related to the uncovering of a corruption scheme in the construction sector, which was revealed on June 13. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) announced the exposure of a large-scale corruption scheme that could have caused losses to the state amounting to over one billion hryvnias. Five individuals have been suspected as part of the investigation, including two persons directly connected to Oleksii Chernishov: former State Secretary of the Ministry of Regional Development and Communities Vasyl Volodin and former advisor to the minister Maksym Horbatyuk. On June 18, the High Anti-Corruption Court ruled on Volodin — he is held in custody for 60 days with the possibility to pay a bail of over 20 million hryvnias. According to Ukrainian media and sources within law enforcement and political circles, about a month ago searches were conducted in Chernishov’s residence, and he is currently officially absent from the country and abroad. The press service of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine officially state that the deputy premier is on a "scheduled trip to EU countries," which currently has no status of emergency or pre-trial detention. Overall, the situation around Oleksii Chernishov remains one of the hottest topics in Ukraine’s political circles in recent days. Officials are trying to avoid details, but investigators and anti-corruption agencies continue their investigations, likely revealing new aspects of the government official’s activities and possible connections in the construction and political spheres. Time will tell everything, and Chernishov’s official return to Ukraine will become one of the main news stories in the upcoming weeks.