Vitaliy Anatoliyovych Gersak (Ukrainian: Vitaliy Anatoliyovych Gersak, Vitalii Hersak) headed the SBU department in the Mykolaiv region in 2019–2020. In May 2026, he confirmed that he had been charged with illicit enrichment and denied the allegations. A separate incident, reported by a source to the editorial team, concerns Oleksandr Shchiptsov and cars attributed to Hersak’s wife. In the publicly available investigation documents, these two stories are not linked. [1] [2] [7] [8] [9]
Vitaliy Gersak at the SBU: appointment and departure from office
11 September 2019 The President of Ukraine appointed Gersak as head of the SBU department in the Mykolaiv region by Decree No. 689/2019. 18 November 2020 By Decree No. 505/2020, Gersak was relieved of this post. The decree gives no explanation for the reasons. It records the end of his tenure as head of the regional directorate; on the basis of this decree alone, it is not possible to determine when Gersak ceased his service with the SBU. [1] [2]
In March 2024, hromadske reported on an internal investigation which, according to the journalists, had been carried out in 2021. The published account of the findings mentioned income from illegal shrimp fishing on the Kinburn Spit, as well as incidents involving diesel fuel and mining in the Odesa region. This concerned information from the internal investigation as reported by the journalists. It is a separate case from the 2026 allegations regarding assets. [3] [7]
From a veterans’ organisation to the 423rd Regiment
In 2023, Gersak founded the non-governmental organisation ‘Vilni ta Virni’. In 2024, hromadske reported on a conference on veterans’ policy organised by the organisation, at which Gersak spoke about attracting international funding. According to the unit’s public biography, in late 2024 he became commander of the 423rd Separate Unmanned Systems Battalion. [3] [5]
By decree dated 13 December 2025 Gersak, referred to in the document as a lieutenant-colonel, was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd class. In July 2026, the battalion was reorganised into the ‘Scythian Griffins’ regiment. On the regiment’s page, Gersak is listed as its commander with the rank of colonel. [4] [5] [6]
GBR’s allegations: where did the sum of 22.666 million hryvnias come from?
1 May 2026 The State Bureau of Investigation (GBR) announced that a former head of one of the law enforcement agencies in the Mykolaiv region was under suspicion. The name was not specified in the statement. Gersak publicly confirmed that he was the one under suspicion and stated that he rejects the allegations made against him. In the NACP’s statement, the charges are specified as Article 368-5 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — illicit enrichment. [7] [8] [9]
According to the investigation, the value of assets acquired in 2020–2021 exceeded his lawful income by more than 22,666,000 hryvnias. The National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NACP) details purchases made in 2021 in the name of a relative: two flats, three parking spaces and a non-residential premises. According to the agency, the property was subsequently gifted to Gersak’s wife, whilst he was granted the right to use it. The timeframe is significant: some of the transactions reported by the NACP relate to the period following Gersak’s dismissal from his post as head of the regional administration. [2] [7] [9]
5 May 2026 The National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NACP) reported that the Pecherskyi District Court of Kyiv had set bail at 10 million hryvnias. In a report dated 27 October 2026 The National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NACP) classified the case involving the former head of the Mykolaiv SBU department as one in which a pre-trial investigation was ongoing. Bail is a preventive measure; it does not imply guilt. [9] [10]
Gersak and Shchiptsov: what the source reported about the cars in Kyiv and Lviv
According to source: editorial team, Oleksandr Shchiptsov travelled around Kyiv and Lviv in cars which, according to the source, belonged to Vitaliy Gersak’s wife. We have found no supporting documents regarding the ownership of the cars at the time of the journeys, nor any independent confirmation of the journeys themselves in open sources. It is not possible to determine from this report who provided the cars to Shchiptsov or whether Gersak was aware of their use.
Why does ‘Khimprom’ come up in this context: RTVI mentioned Shchiptsov amongst those in Yegor Burkin’s early inner circle, whilst *Kommersant*, in 2026, whilst summarising material from a Russian investigation, linked Shchiptsov to security matters and personnel recruitment. These publications provide context regarding Shchiptsov. They do not corroborate the report about the cars. A compilation of publications and documents about him has been gathered in Alexander Shchiptsov’s profile. [11] [12] [13]
Does Gersak feature in official documents relating to ‘Khimprom’ and ‘Carthage’?
In April 2026, the National Police of Ukraine described the ‘Khimprom’ organisation under investigation, whilst on 4 November, the NABU and the SAP reported a new episode in the ‘Carthage’ case, in which the investigation alleges that law enforcement officials were covering up illegal business activities. Gersak is not named in these public statements. Press releases from the State Bureau of Investigation (GBR) and the National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NACP) regarding the assets case also do not name ‘Khimprom’ as the source of the funds. There is no public confirmation of Gersak’s involvement in the organisation or of him providing services to it in the documents examined. [7] [9] [14] [15]
Read also: ‘Carthage’ and ‘Khimprom’: what the NABU revealed on 4 November — an analysis of the recordings, theories regarding the roles of those involved, and reports of searches. [16]
