In Slovakia, the ex-head of the Football Federation of Ukraine, Pavelko, was detained; the Office of the Prosecutor General has initiated the extradition procedure
Kyiv • UNN
Former high-ranking official of the Football Federation of Ukraine Andriy Pavelko was detained in Bratislava. The Office of the Prosecutor General has initiated the extradition procedure.
In Slovakia, former high-ranking official of the Football Federation of Ukraine Andriy Pavelko has been detained. The Office of the Prosecutor General has already initiated the extradition procedure. This was reported by Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, as conveyed by UNN.
In Bratislava, a former high-ranking official of the Football Federation of Ukraine, who was wanted by Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, has been detained. He had been hiding from Ukrainian justice for years. But international search and effective cooperation with foreign partners yielded results
And although the Prosecutor General does not name the detained person, UNN has learned that it is Andriy Pavelko.
According to the investigation, he organized a scheme to embezzle almost UAH 295 million of the Federation's funds through controlled commercial structures. For this purpose, fictitious contracts were concluded for the supply of seafood, premium teas, coffee, and electrical equipment, which existed only on paper. The money was siphoned off, and the Football Federation of Ukraine and its regional branches suffered multi-million dollar losses.
The Office of the Prosecutor General has already initiated the extradition procedure. I have sent a letter to the competent authorities of the Slovak Republic regarding the intention to submit a request for the extradition of this person, as well as for the application of temporary arrest. This detention is the result of professional interaction between Ukrainian law enforcement officers and the competent authorities of the Slovak Republic and the effective use of international legal cooperation mechanisms. We will continue to return to Ukraine those who for years believed they could hide from the law abroad. Time, distance, another country, or a new life do not cancel responsibility
Reminder
In December 2025, the former president of the UAF, Andriy Pavelko, appeared on the list of persons hiding from authorities. In 2023, Pavelko was taken into custody. And in 2024, the defendant in the high-profile criminal case managed to get the arrest lifted. After that, according to media reports, he fled abroad using fake disability status.