In the so-called "case of Battalion Commander Hersak," the court sided with the military

On May 5, 2026, the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv held a hearing to select a preventive measure in the case of illicit enrichment charges against Vitaliy Hersak, commander of the 423rd Separate Unmanned Systems Battalion, UNN reports.

SBI investigators accuse Hersak of unlawfully acquiring assets worth 22 million UAH in excess of his official income during 2020-2021, while serving as the head of the SBU Office in the Mykolaiv region.

Vitaliy Hersak himself categorically rejects the charges against him and considers the case to be politically motivated. "For me, as a person with 20 years of experience in operational work, this entire case looks worthless. It is based on professionally dubious 'setups' from the Bakanov-Naumov era, who at the time were unable to incriminate me with anything," Hersak stated.

According to the battalion commander, he never owned the property mentioned by the prosecution, and his relatives have earned significant money throughout their lives and had the opportunity to acquire any assets. After being discharged from service, Vitaliy Hersak himself engaged in entrepreneurial activities abroad and earned enough funds to be a person of means. "I have no desire to get involved in these games. Let my lawyers handle this; my job is to defend Ukraine," Commander Hersak stated.

Activists and veterans present at the court hearing also pointed out a number of contradictions in this case. "Why did events from six years ago only now interest investigators? Is this case so fundamental that it is necessary to decapitate one of the key battalions in the critically important Zaporizhzhia direction? It feels as if the front is being intentionally undermined by FSB agents within the Ukrainian government," stated a disabled war veteran and legendary scout with the call sign "Jew."

During the court hearing, it became known that Major General of the AFU M. Sydorenko, Commander of the Operational Command "South," and Colonel S. Zaits, Commander of the 20th Army Corps, petitioned the court to release Lieutenant Colonel Hersak, commander of the 423rd Separate Unmanned Systems Battalion, into their personal recognizance.

According to the court's decision, the motion by the SBI and the Prosecutor General's Office to remand Vitaliy Hersak in custody was denied. Instead, a preventive measure was applied in the form of bail in the amount of 10 million UAH, to be paid within five days.

As previously reported, in early 2022, Lieutenant Colonel Hersak voluntarily mobilized into the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and at the time the suspicion was served, he held the position of commander of the 423rd Separate Unmanned Systems Battalion, which performs combat missions in the Zaporizhzhia direction. At the end of 2025, Hersak was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd Class, "For personal courage shown in the defense of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and selfless performance of military duty."

On May 1, 2026, SBI officers charged Vitaliy Hersak with illicit enrichment in 2020-2021, when he headed the SBU Office in the Mykolaiv region. According to investigators, during the specified period, assets worth 22 million UAH in excess of his official income were registered in the names of Hersak's immediate relatives.