Judges in the Kherson region reported incomes in the millions and zero savings

 Before the Russian invasion of the Kherson region in 2022, there were 24 local and district courts operating in the region. However, only three courts are currently in operation in the region. The others are not functioning, and their jurisdiction has been divided among these three; in addition, two courts have been placed under the authority of the Odesa courts.

The Center for Public Investigations, together with Intent, investigated who headed the operating courts in the Kherson region as of 2025 and what these individuals declared in their financial disclosures.

How the Occupation Redrew the Judicial Map

After the start of the full-scale invasion, the territorial jurisdiction of the Kherson courts was initially transferred to courts in the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions. By a decision of the High Council of Justice on May 30, 2023, it was “returned” within the region’s borders, but concentrated in only a few courts that were able to function.

Today, cases are heard by three “hub” courts:

• The Velyka Oleksandrivka District Court assumed jurisdiction over seven relocated courts: the Beryslav, Vysokopil, Verkhnorogachyk, Hornostaiv, Ivaniv, Kalanchak, Skadovsk, and Chaplyn courts.
• The Novovorontsov District Court has taken over cases from the Velyka Lepetykha, Kakhovka, Nyzhniosirohoz, and Novokakhovka courts, as well as those within its own jurisdiction.
• The Kherson City Court—the functioning court in Kherson, which is under Ukrainian control—handles cases from the Bilozersky, Henichesk, Goloprystan, Novotroitsky, and Oleshky courts.

Separately, commercial cases from the Kherson region were transferred to the Commercial Court of the Odesa region, and administrative cases to the Odesa District Administrative Court.

Who Is in Charge and What They Declare

Of the twenty-four courts, only one still has a declarant serving as court president—the Novovorontsov Court. The others involve heads of “hub” courts or leadership changes that occurred during the year. Collectively, four court heads declared 8.5 million hryvnias in income for 2025. Most of these amounts fall within the range of a judge’s salary, with one notable exception.

Vyacheslav Kanevsky is the chief judge of the Novovorontsov District Court. His income for 2025 amounted to 1.5 million hryvnias, an 8 percent increase over last year. This consists mainly of his judge’s salary (1.36 million); his wife, Alla, contributed an additional 109 thousand in salary.

Oleksandr Sikora took over as head of the Velykooleksandrivka District Court—the region’s largest “hub”—in March 2025, replacing Iryna Khomyk in that position. He earned the most—3.69 million hryvnias, twice as much as the previous year (1.85 million). The judge’s own salary was 1.12 million. He also declared an additional 687 thousand as a cash gift from his relative Nataliia Sikora and 420 thousand from the sale of a Jeep Cherokee.

The lion’s share of the family’s income came from his wife, Olga—1.47 million hryvnias. Of this amount, 317 thousand came from the sale of her Ford Focus, and 1.15 million was social assistance for living expenses and rent (Bürgergeld) from the German Jobcenter in the Esslingen district.

Iryna Khomyk, head of the Velyka Oleksandrivka District Court until March 2025, declared 1.72 million hryvnias (a salary of 1.44 million and a pension of 283,000). Her colleague, Dmytro Gontar, head of the Kherson City Court, earned 1.58 million (9 percent more), almost all of which was his judge’s salary; his wife, Polina, received 140 thousand in dividends.

IMAGE: CPR/Intent/AI

Assets: Hectares, Cars, and Empty Accounts

The first thing that catches the eye: none of the four declared any savings —neither cash nor funds in bank accounts. 

Vyacheslav Kanevsky owns the largest amount of residential property: about 262 square meters. This consists of a 98-square-meter house in Novovorontsovka and two apartments (80 and 84 square meters) registered in the names of his daughter and son. Oleksandr Sikora’s family owns two apartments in Kherson—totaling about 130 square meters—and his wife rents a 91-square-meter apartment in Germany.

 Dmytro Gontar owns two apartments as joint co-owners (116 and 80 square meters). Iryna Khomyk does not own her own home: a 74-square-meter house in Velyka Oleksandrivka belongs to her husband.

IMAGE: CPR/Intent/AI

The largest landholding belongs to Dmytro Gontar’s family: his wife, Polina, owns over 10.5 hectares in Novovoskresenske. Another six hectares in Velyka Oleksandrivka belong to Iryna Khomyk’s husband.

The only one who updated his vehicle fleet last year was Oleksandr Sikora. The couple sold a 2013 Ford Focus and a 2015 Jeep Cherokee, and in their place purchased a 2014 Dodge Durango (630 thousand hryvnias) and a 2016 Mazda CX-5 (356 thousand). Dmytro Gontar’s wife owns a 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan worth 712 thousand hryvnias; the family uses two other cars—a Nissan Juke and an Audi Q7—without owning them. The rest of the officials did not sell any property last year: their annual declarations remained virtually unchanged.

Where Have the Court Presidents Gone?

The small number of available declarations from court presidents is partly due to personnel changes.  

Some former court presidents have been reassigned and now serve as regular judges in other regions. Valentina Myrhorod, president of the Beryslav Court, has been transferred to the Saratsky District Court in the Odesa region as a judge. Pavlo Pryguz, the chief judge of the Kherson Regional Commercial Court, is now a judge at the Zakarpattia Regional Commercial Court. Olga Tseselska, the chief judge of the Nyzhniosirohozkyi Court, is a judge in the Kirovohrad region.

Other courts have no presiding judges at all. The Unified State Register lists interim acting heads of the court administration in their place: Iryna Senina (Velyka Lepetykha), Ruslana Muterko (Henichesk), Lilia Cherkesova (Novokakhovka), and Marina Shiyan (Bilozerka). This is an administrative position, not a judicial one, and it does not confer the powers of a court president.

So, in summary: the combined income of three current and one former court administrators in the Kherson region is 8.5 million hryvnias, while their savings total zero. The highest income belongs to Oleksandr Sikora (3.69 million, of which 687 thousand was a cash gift); the largest personal residence belongs to Vyacheslav Kanevsky (262 square meters); and the largest land holdings belong to the family of Dmytro Gontar (over 10.5 hectares).

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