Head of Ternopil OVA, who threatened to expel the UOC, sentenced to 9 years by court

The Appellate Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) upheld the sentence against former head of the Ternopil Regional Council Mykhailo Holovko, imposing a punishment of 9 years' imprisonment.

The court confirmed the verdict of the first instance, finding the official guilty of extortion and receiving a bribe in an especially large amount. According to the ruling of July 8, 2026, Holovko will spend nine years in prison with full confiscation of all property belonging to him. The convicted man, who had previously actively promoted the idea of seizing the Pochaiv Lavra, was taken into custody directly in the courtroom.

The investigation proved that the official demanded more than 600,000 hryvnias from a businessman-volunteer in exchange for signing certificates of completed road repair works. In June 2023, NABU officers detained him red-handed while receiving another instalment of unlawful benefit.

Several days before his arrest, the official publicly demanded that the government terminate the agreement with the UOC and transfer the Pochaiv Lavra to the ownership of the local community. He declared that he would "find a way" to expel the monks from the monastery, and complained about the absence of a bill for a complete ban on the "enemy Church." Now, by court order, the initiator of the persecution of the shrine will spend the coming years behind bars.

As the UOJ reported, the court chose a preventive measure for the former Minister of Culture who had threatened the monks of the Lavra.

Read also