The scandalous senior operative of the Poltava Regional Administrative District Criminal Police Department, Serhiy Balashov, came under the attention of the State Bureau of Investigation on suspicion of illegal enrichment and providing false information in the declaration. According to the investigation, from 2015 to 2025, the law enforcement officer acquired movable and immovable property with a total value of over 13.5 million hryvnias, a significant part of which was registered in the names of relatives and third parties.
Among the declared assets are land plots in the villages of Podil and Kovalivka, a residential building in Reshetylivka, a room in Zinkiv, BYD Tang and Lexus GX 460 cars. The official income of Balashov and his relatives does not allow to explain such expenses. In addition, the policeman received a loan of UAH 1.66 million from Yanina Aranchiy, who is his common-law wife and head of the regional State Service for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection.
During searches of Balashov and Aranchiy's house, as well as the developer's office, detectives seized mobile phones, bank cards, payment receipts and other documents that may be relevant to the investigation. A Lexus GX 460 was also seized.
Investigators are checking the possible registration of a fictitious disability for a newborn child and preparation for traveling abroad to avoid being registered as a conscript. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing under Articles 368-5 and 366-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The Balashov and Aranchiy case highlights the problems of transparency in the activities of law enforcement officers and high-ranking officials in the Poltava region, particularly regarding real estate, funds, and privileges that acquire political and social resonance.
