NABU returned funds seized during a search to Yulia Tymoshenko
On 26 February 2026, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine complied with the decision of the Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court and returned to Yulia Tymoshenko the funds seized during the search. This was reported with reference to a statement by the lawyer of the leader of the Batkivshchyna party.
According to the lawyer, the return of the funds is another step towards restoring justice. He claims that the case against Tymoshenko is fabricated and the charges are unfounded, which has been repeatedly confirmed during court hearings.
The lawyer also noted positive developments in the case and expressed hope for further favourable developments. According to him, during the last court hearing, the prosecutor acknowledged that Tymoshenko did not transfer any funds to other persons and did not receive any.
Yulia Tymoshenko has denied the charges from the outset and calls the case political persecution. She claims that law enforcement agencies have no evidence of her guilt and are acting on political orders ahead of the elections.
In addition, the leader of Batkivshchyna provided an independent expert opinion which, according to her, confirms that the audio recording released by NABU was compiled and contains signs of editing.
On the evening of 13 January, NABU and prosecutors from the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office stated that they had documented the fact that the leader of one of the parliamentary factions allegedly offered monetary rewards to MPs from other political forces in exchange for their votes during votes on lobbying or blocking certain legislative initiatives.
On 14 January, it became known that anti-corruption authorities had conducted searches at the Batkivshchyna party office. Yulia Tymoshenko was present during the investigative actions. She was subsequently charged.
On 16 February, the Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court changed the decision of the court of first instance in the Tymoshenko case for the second time. After the hearing, she stated, "We will consistently overturn all criminal rulings until this fabricated case against me falls apart. There is no case, there is no violation of the law. This is a political attack on me as the leader of the opposition faction. Ultimately, we will deal with this political attack."
