The family of Ukrainian judge Ruslan Ivanytskyi has amassed wealth far exceeding their declared income — investigation

For nearly 15 years, Ruslan Ivanytskyi has served as a judge in Ukraine, where until they got a raise in around 2018, judges made the equivalent of several hundred dollars a month. Yet his family controls a sprawling portfolio of luxury real estate and prime land that dwarfs their declared earnings, according to a new investigation by the Ukrainian news outlet hromadske.

Much of the property is registered to the judge’s 73-year-old mother, Hanna Ivanytska, a retired local official whose lifetime declared income amounts to roughly $300,000.

Her most notable recent acquisition is a 104-square-meter apartment in a luxury residential complex in central Kyiv, purchased in November 2023 on behalf of the judge’s niece, Anastasiia Ostrovska. 

While similar units in the building were selling for at least $400,000 at the time, official records show Ivanytska bought the apartment for roughly $95,000 — a fraction of its market value.

Real estate agent Oleksii Hnuchikh told reporters that the purchase price of $950 per square meter is highly unrealistic, not only for that specific complex but even for older buildings in the area, which he described as “one of the most expensive streets in Ukraine.”

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The revelations touch on a persistent issue in Ukraine, where unexplained wealth among public officials and the judiciary has long been a hurdle in the country’s broader anti-corruption efforts.

During a 2018 judicial qualification review, Judge Ivanytskyi acknowledged that some of his properties had been transferred to his mother, who handled their use and arrangements with third parties. However, he was unable to clearly explain whether those arrangements generated rental income or if the properties were provided for free use.

One of the properties previously owned by the judge was linked to a 2013 criminal investigation into illegal gambling. At the time, law enforcement documented slot machines operating in a basement connected to his property. Judge Ivanytskyi claimed he had granted use of the space free of charge and denied any involvement in the gambling ring. Police told journalists that the case was closed in April 2014 without anyone being formally suspected of a crime.

Beyond the capital, the family holds significant assets in the western Ukrainian city of Mukachevo, including commercial properties and land. In 2018, Ivanytska acquired a half-hectare parcel near the city center. The land’s designated use was subsequently changed to allow for multi-apartment residential construction by a decision of the city council — where the judge’s sister, Olesia Ostrovska, serves as a lawmaker.

The family’s finances have recently drawn official scrutiny. In 2025, regional tax authorities placed some of Ivanytska’s assets under a tax lien due to outstanding debt, raising additional questions about the family’s cash flow.

The wealth also appears to extend to the next generation. The investigation highlighted the lifestyle of the judge’s 21-year-old niece Ostrovska, who drives luxury vehicles with an estimated combined market value of around $180,000. She also owns some of the land in Mukachevo where an apartment complex was built (with parts of it currently under construction) — plots she purchased when she was just 19.

Judge Ivanytskyi told hromadske reporters that he had not received any income from real estate since becoming a judge.

"I have not lived with my mother, have not shared a household, and have had no mutual rights or obligations with her since 2001. I have no information regarding my mother’s acquisition of a car or real estate," Ivanytskyi said.