Court Reduces Bail for Mayor of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi

The Odesa Court of Appeals modified the pretrial measure for Vitaliy Grazhdan, the mayor of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, who is accused of extortion. He remains in custody, but his alternative bail was reduced to 4.99 million hryvnias.

According to the appellate ruling, Hrazdan will remain in pretrial detention until at least October 12, 2026.

The court partially granted the appeals filed by his defense attorneys. The Court of Appeals overturned the August 13 decision by the Primorsky District Court of Odesa, which had extended the pretrial detention, and issued a new ruling.

The court left Grazhdan in custody but allowed him to be released on bail in the amount of 4,992,000 hryvnias. This is equivalent to 1,500 times the minimum subsistence level for able-bodied individuals.

If bail is posted, the mayor must appear in court whenever summoned, may not leave the Odesa region without court permission, and must report any change of residence or employment.

His passports for travel abroad must also be confiscated, and he is prohibited from communicating with the victim and witnesses in the case regarding the circumstances of the criminal offense. In addition, Hrazdan is required to wear an electronic ankle monitor.

The court first set bail in this case in May 2026—at that time, the amount was 9.984 million hryvnias. Since then, the amount has been reduced three times:

• in July—to 8.32 million hryvnias;
• in August —to 6.656 million hryvnias;
• and now—to 4.992 million hryvnias.

Intent is following the case of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi MayorVitalii Hrazhdan.Together with his accomplices, he organizedan attackon the co-owner of a resort in Serhiivka. Under threat, the woman was forced to transfer 50% of the corporate rights to the property. Subsequently, the mayor found buyers for the share and was detained while receiving an advance payment of $30,000.

This is not the first time law enforcement has taken an interest in the official: back in 2022, the SBU conductedsearchesof his office and home in connection with a case involving possible abuses during the payment of compensation for a missile strike.

Ірина Глухова