The governor of the Astrakhan region of Russia, Ihor Babushkin, appointed former deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andrii Derkach as a senator from the region. As the Russian publication “Meduza” reports, the decree on this appointment was signed on September 12, but it attracted wide media attention only recently.
Andriy Derkach, who served as a People’s Deputy in Ukraine for more than two decades, disappeared from the political scene after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. Since then, he has not been seen in the Verkhovna Rada, and his parliamentary powers have been suspended. Before the start of the war, he often appeared on Ukrainian TV channels associated with Viktor Medvedchuk, a close associate of Vladimir Putin. In his speeches, Derkach regularly disseminated the propaganda theses of the Kremlin, in particular regarding the “external management” of Ukraine.
In 2023, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stripped Derkach of his Ukrainian citizenship, and he is currently wanted. In addition, Derkach is suspected of treason and illegal enrichment. According to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP), in July 2022, during searches of his premises, evidence of his close cooperation with representatives of Russia and collaborators was found.
Derkach’s bodyguard was also under investigation: in July 2022, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained him for illegal possession of ammunition, which included hand grenades and cartridges for firearms.
In addition, in June 2022, the SBU reported the exposure of the GRU intelligence network of Russia, which included Derkach himself. According to the investigation, he oversaw the creation of private security companies for use in the rapid takeover of Ukraine.
Derkach was also sanctioned by the US Treasury Department in 2020 for his involvement in meddling in the US election. The United States accuses him of money laundering and violation of the sanctions regime. Derkach called these sanctions “revenge” on the part of American politicians and did not comment on other accusations.
