Mykolaiv Polytechnic is under threat of closure due to the verdict against the rector

The former rector of a Mykolaiv university was found guilty of bribery for demanding money for issuing a diploma to a student. The inspection also uncovered a scheme to evade mobilization, which resulted in the revocation of the university's license.

This was reported by Anti-Corruption Dimension with reference to the court verdict.

The judge ruled on the case of Serhiy Tkachenko, the former acting rector of Mykolaiv Polytechnic. He was detained in the fall of 2024 on suspicion of taking a bribe - he demanded money from a student for receiving a diploma that had already been produced and signed. The court found him guilty and approved a plea agreement.

Intent also wrote about this case. According to the investigation, the accused, who also worked as a vice-rector for scientific and pedagogical activities, in October 2024 demanded a bribe of UAH 36 thousand from a student for issuing a diploma in road transport.

Although the diploma had already been issued and the student had the right to receive it, the official arbitrarily took the document from the dean's office, signed the issuance log, and thus blocked the student's access to the diploma.

During a personal meeting, he hinted several times at the need to "thank" him, and later directly informed the amount of the bribe on Telegram. On the same day, he received the money in cash at the university premises and issued the diploma.

After his detention in the fall of 2024, the former rector was released from prison on bail of 1 million hryvnias, which was paid by several people. On July 4, 2025, the court sentenced him to a fine of 68 thousand hryvnias and a ban on holding managerial positions related to organizational and economic activities for a year. In addition, Tkachenko voluntarily transferred UAH 100,000 to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine. His bail was returned and the seizure of his property was canceled.

After Tkachenko's detention, the Ministry of Education and Science conducted an unscheduled inspection of Mykolaiv Polytechnic and found a number of violations, including the renewal of students in specialties that have not been recruited since 2019. As a result, the university's licenses in 23 fields of study were revoked.

According to Denys Zhel, a member of the public control council at the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine, the university had a scheme to enroll men with military service in full-time education for bribes to avoid mobilization.

This information did not become part of the criminal proceedings against Tkachenko, but a separate court case was heard on the denial of a deferment of military service to a university student. In July 2024, he appealed the refusal of the court of first instance, which argued that the student had actually studied remotely and had previously received a higher education, and that distance learning did not entitle him to a deferment. However, in April 2025, the Court of Appeal upheld his appeal and granted the deferral.

In November 2024, the Mykolaiv District Administrative Court canceled the order to revoke the licenses. An appeal upheld the decision, but the case is still pending. Following the scandal, the educational process at Mykolaiv Polytechnic was effectively suspended, and the university itself came under scrutiny from law enforcement and regulators.

Анна Бальчінос