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Anton Yuriyovych Gerashchenko (Ukrainian: Антон Юрійович Геращенко, romanizedAnton Yuriyovych Herashchenko, born 10 February 1979) is a current official advisor and a former deputy minister at the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs.[1][2][3][4] He is a former member of the Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada) from 2014 to 2019,[3][5] and was the subject of an assassination attempt in part because of his actions, which was prevented by the SBU.[6]

Biography

When Arsen Avakov became the Minister of Internal Affairs in 2014, Gerashchenko became his adviser.[3] In this role, Gerashchenko briefed journalists about the formation of the Donbas Battalion,[7] the Azov Battalion,[8] and the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.[9][10]

Gerashchenko was elected to parliament in the 26 October 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election, representing the People's Front in the multi-mandate nationwide district, he was placed 21st (as an independent candidate) on the party's election list.[11][5] Gerashchenko was one of the founders of a database of separatists called "Myrotvorets" (Peacekeeper).[12]

He was secretary of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's national parliament) Committee on Legislative Support of Law Enforcement.[5] In parliament, one of his assistant-consultants was the future Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky.[13]

In January 2017, it was announced that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) had prevented an assassination attempt against Gerashchenko.[6] The SBU had had the two assassins under surveillance for over a month and arrested them in the act with an explosive device in their possession.

The SBU stated that the assassins had been in prison in the Russian-occupied Crimea, until they agreed to assassinate Gerashchenko. The SBU claimed that the assassins were coordinated by Andrey Tikhonov. Tikhonov currently lives in Belgorod in Russia, and used to be a Ukrainian citizen, who had fought against Ukraine on the side of the Luhansk People's Republic.[6]

After the July 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election, Gerashchenko did not return to parliament because he did not take part in the election.[11][3] On 25 September 2019, the Cabinet of Ministers appointed him one of six or seven deputy ministers at the Ministry of Internal Affairs.[3][4] The minister was Arsen Avakov.[3]

After Avakov stepped down as Interior Minister on 15 July 2021, Gerashchenko became an official advisor for the new minister, Denys Monastyrsky.[2] On 4 August 2021, he was dismissed as deputy minister.[1] In late September 2021, Gerashchenko was appointed the coordinator of the new "Office for Business Protection"[nb 1] within the Ministry of Internal Affairs.[14]

Notes

  1. ^ This bureau was established to improve communications between entrepreneurs and the security forces.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b (in Ukrainian) The Cabinet of Ministers fired Gerashchenko from the post of Deputy Interior Minister, Ukrayinska Pravda (4 August 2021)
  2. ^ a b (in Ukrainian) Gerashchenko continues to work in the Ministry of Internal Affairs with Monastyrsky, Ukrayinska Pravda (30 August 2021)
    Parliament appoints Monastyrsky as Ukraine's interior minister, Ukrinform (16 July 2021)
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Екснардеп Геращенко став заступником Авакова" [Former People's Deputy of Ukraine Gerashchenko becomes Avakov's deputy], Interfax-Ukraine, 25 September 2019, retrieved 31 March 2020
  4. ^ a b "Ukraine's Cabinet appoints new police chief – MP", UNIAN, 25 September 2019
  5. ^ a b c "People's Deputies of Ukraine", Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine official web portal, 22 July 2018, archived from the original on 5 February 2015, retrieved 22 July 2018
  6. ^ a b c "Media: SBU prevented a murder attempt on MP Anton Gerashchenko", UAWire, 22 January 2017
  7. ^ "Anton Gerashchenko: on the basis of "Donbas" troop another battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine has been created", Ukraine Crisis Media Center, 29 May 2014
  8. ^ "Reinforcements for the Azov Battalion". euromaidanpress.com. 24 June 2014.
  9. ^ "MH17: the evidence against Russia", The Observer, 20 July 2014
  10. ^ "Rebels take out "Buk" missile system to Russia, "black boxes" to be passed to FSB – Gerashchenko", UNIAN, 18 July 2014
  11. ^ a b "Електоральна пам'ять" [Electoral memory]. ukr.vote. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  12. ^ "The right to freedom of speech and opinion in Ukraine: threats and opportunities" (PDF). osce.org. 11 September 2018.
  13. ^ (in Ukrainian) Electoral history and small biography of Denys Monastyrsky, Civil movement "Chesno"
  14. ^ a b (in Ukrainian) The Ministry of Internal Affairs will create a Business Office, which will be coordinated by Gerashchenko, Ukrayinska Pravda (29 September 2021)

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