Former Ukrainian judge jailed for nine years over fatal drunk-driving crash that killed National Guard soldier
A Kyiv court sentenced former judge Oleksii Tandyr to nine years in prison for a May 2023 drunk-driving collision that killed National Guard serviceman Vadym Bondarenko at a checkpoint. The court also barred Tandyr from judicial work for 10 years, ordered him to pay 40 million hryvnias in compensation to the victim's family, and credited three years and five months spent in custody.
Key points
- Oleksii Tandyr was convicted under Part 3 of Article 286-1 of Ukraine's Criminal Code.
- The collision occurred before dawn on 26 May 2023 at a checkpoint on Beresteiskyi Avenue in Kyiv.
- Tandyr, driving a Lexus ES350 at about 100 km/h in an intoxicated state, struck 22-year-old National Guard serviceman Vadym Bondarenko, who died at the scene.
- Experts found that Tandyr began braking only immediately before the impact, rather than early as road signs required.
- After the crash, Tandyr refused intoxication testing and tried to substitute his biological samples with water and saliva.
- The court ordered Tandyr to pay 40 million hryvnias in compensation to the victim's family.
- The European Court of Human Rights ordered Ukraine to pay Tandyr 2,100 euros in moral damages and 250 euros in costs over his detention without bail.
- The European Court of Human Rights ordered Ukraine to pay Tandyr 2,100 euros in moral damages and 250 euros in costs over his detention without bail.
- The court also barred Tandyr from holding judicial office for 10 years and credited three years and five months spent in a remand prison.
Why it matters
The ruling delivers a nine-year prison term and a 10-year ban on judicial work over a fatal collision involving a serving National Guard member. The case is notable for evidence of drunk driving, excessive speed, late braking, and an attempt to substitute biological samples to conceal intoxication, as well as the court's decision to order 40 million hryvnias in compensation. The proceedings were protracted: more than 50 hearings were held at the defence's request, over 30 recusal motions were filed against the judge and prosecutor, and Tandyr unsuccessfully sought to leave custody through mobilisation. Separately, the European Court of Human Rights found that his detention without bail for more than two and a half years violated Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
What happened
On the night of 26 May 2023, roughly three minutes before the start of the curfew, Oleksii Tandyr was driving a Lexus ES350 on Beresteiskyi Avenue at the entrance to Kyiv from the Zhytomyr highway. At a checkpoint, his vehicle struck 22-year-old National Guard serviceman Vadym Bondarenko, who was on duty. Bondarenko was thrown about 30 metres, hit his head against the windscreen and died at the scene.
Examinations confirmed that Tandyr was intoxicated and that his car was travelling at about 100 km/h. Experts found that he began braking only immediately before the collision, rather than early as required by the road signs. After the crash, he refused to undergo an intoxication test and, during the compulsory taking of biological samples, attempted to substitute them with water and saliva in order to falsify the alcohol test results. The DBR conducted 18 examinations, including forensic medical, chemical and vehicle-technical ones.
The Sviatoshynskyi District Court in Kyiv found Tandyr guilty under Part 3 of Article 286-1 of the Criminal Code and sentenced him to nine years in prison. The court credited three years and five months spent in a remand prison, barred him from holding judicial office for 10 years, and ordered him to pay 40 million hryvnias in compensation for material and moral harm to the victim's family. Tandyr remained in custody at the time of sentencing. The pre-trial DBR investigation concluded in August 2023 and the case reached court in September 2023.
Background
The collision took place in the early hours of 26 May 2023 at a checkpoint on Beresteiskyi Avenue, where Bondarenko was serving duty. The case was handled by the Kyiv District Court and was in court from September 2023. The Judicial Council dismissed Tandyr from his judicial post on 6 August 2024, while the DBR pre-trial investigation had concluded in August 2023. On 22 January 2026, the European Court of Human Rights found that Tandyr's detention in a remand prison for more than two and a half years without consideration of alternative measures breached Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and ordered Ukraine to pay him 2,100 euros in moral damages and 250 euros in legal costs. Separately, in May 2026 the DBR notified Tandyr of suspicion of involvement in a scheme to take over the apartments of deceased people.