Andriy Gerus, a member of parliament from the Servant of the People party, has once again found himself at the center of a corruption and political scandal. The reason is his family's business ties with sanctioned Russian financier Kirill Dmitriev, who is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to official registers, the parliamentarian's wife, Natalia Gerus, remained the director and co-owner of Ukrainian Dream LLC until February 2025, where 12.5% belonged to Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RFPI). This fund is one of the Kremlin's key financial instruments that finances Russia's defense and propaganda programs.
Dmytriev is under international sanctions — by the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia. Despite this, his name remained on the charter documents of the Ukrainian company even during a full-scale war.
It was not until February 22, 2025, that Natalia Gerus officially withdrew from the beneficiaries. However, the question of why this happened only three years after the Russian invasion remains unanswered.
Following media reports, the Security Service of Ukraine announced that it was investigating possible connections between the Gerus family and sanctioned Russian businesses. However, more than three months have passed, and the official results of this investigation have not been made public.
No announcements about its completion or procedural decisions have been made public, which raises questions about the real position of the SBU in this case.
This is not the first time that Andriy Gerus' name has been involved in a Russia-related scandal. In 2021, he initiated a controversial amendment that opened the way for electricity imports from Russia and Belarus. Despite public outrage, the MP then managed to push the changes through parliament.
Now it has become clear that the Gerus family business had a direct connection to a sanctioned person who works for the economic interests of the Kremlin. This is not only a reputational stain, but also a possible threat to Ukraine's national security, as it involves joint economic activities with a person close to the Russian military-industrial complex.
