The court has extended the suspension of Bondarenko, head of the Mykolaiv Sports Department, for a further month

Iryna Bondarenko’s suspension has been extended until 29 July. Photo from open sources

The Central District Court of Mykolaiv has extended the suspension of Iryna Bondarenko, head of the Department of Physical Culture and Sport, until 29 July.

The court handed down the relevant ruling on 25 June, according to NikVesti.

The court granted the prosecution’s application and extended Iryna Bondarenko’s suspension from her managerial post at Mykolaiv City Council. Furthermore, at the prosecutor’s request, the court extended the procedural obligations imposed on the suspect, which had been determined on 4 May this year when a preventive measure was imposed.

It should be recalled that on 4 May, the court remanded her in custody with the possibility of bail. Judge Halyna Podzihun set the bail at 832,000 hryvnias, although the prosecution had requested over 1.6 million hryvnias.

The bail was paid on the same day. In a comment to NikVesti, the Mykolaiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office noted that she was released from the remand centre the very next day.

The case of Iryna Bondarenko

On 29 April 2026, Iryna Bondarenko, head of the Sports Department at Mykolaiv City Council, was charged with embezzlement of public funds. The sum in question is over half a million hryvnias. Prior to this, law enforcement officers had carried out a search of her home and car.

However, this is not the first search linked to Iryna Bondarenko. Investigative activities at the building of the Department of Physical Culture and Sport of the Mykolaiv City Council came to light on 20 January. Sources at NikVesti within the law enforcement agencies reported that searches took place at Iryna Bondarenko’s department and at two sports schools. According to our information, these are the «Peremoha» sports school, run by Oleksandr Munch, and the «Specialised Children’s and Youth Sports School of the Olympic Reserve №6», where the former head of the sports department, Oleh Mashkin, works as deputy director and boxing coach.

A few days later, Iryna Bondarenko, head of the Department of Physical Culture and Sport at Mykolaiv City Council, commented on the searches that took place last week. She accused the media of spreading rumours, whilst at the same time confirming that the department had provided all the necessary documents requested by the law enforcement agencies.

On 23 January, the Central District Court ordered the seizure of property belonging to the Department of Physical Culture and Sport of the Mykolaiv City Council that had been seized during the searches.

At that time, the mayor, Oleksandr Sienkevych, did not suspend Iryna Bondarenko from her post. In a comment to NikVesti, the mayor later stated that the allegation that the Department of Physical Culture and Sport had organised the sale of exemptions from mobilisation for 5,000 dollars was untrue, and that he was awaiting the outcome of the investigation.

After the notice of suspicion was served, Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych stated that Iryna Bondarenko would be suspended from her post for the duration of the investigation.

On 4 May, following a court ruling, she was suspended from her post as head of the department and remanded in custody until 26 June, with the possibility of bail.

Read also the report by NikVesti : «The head of the sports department failed to explain to the court how her father-in-law, mother-in-law and nanny were employed at a sports school in Mykolaiv»