Pereyaslav Mayor Vyacheslav Saulko will be tried for false declarations and illegal work on an archaeological monument of national importance. According to the investigation, the official hid significant assets for several years and also organized excavations that led to serious destruction of the historical site.
Law enforcement officers found that Saulko, while serving as the head of the community, submitted declarations with inaccurate data. In particular, he did not indicate real estate registered in the name of a family member worth over 7.2 million hryvnias, as well as monetary assets and financial liabilities worth hundreds of thousands of hryvnias.
Overall, according to the investigation, each year, property and funds worth over 9 million hryvnias were not reflected in the declarations. This may indicate a systematic concealment of financial information.
In addition, in 2025, the official is suspected of organizing illegal work on the territory of an archaeological monument. According to the investigation, on his instructions, excavation work was carried out at the site using special equipment.
As a result, a pit was dug and a cultural layer was destroyed, which contained valuable historical artifacts. These include the remains of 18th-century monastery buildings, burials, and objects dating back to the Old Russian period.
According to preliminary estimates, the losses caused to the state amount to at least 18.9 million hryvnias.
The case has already been referred to court. If the official's guilt is proven, he may face liability under several articles at once, relating to both corruption offenses and the destruction of cultural heritage sites.
This case raises two resonant topics at once - the transparency of local officials' incomes and the protection of historical heritage, which in some cases is under threat due to the decisions of the officials themselves.
