Oleksiy Tandir, the former president of the Makariv District Court in the Kyiv region, was reportedly sentenced on 29 October to nine years’ imprisonment in connection with a fatal road traffic accident at a checkpoint in Kyiv. In May 2023, Vadym Bondarenko, a 23-year-old soldier in the National Guard, was killed when he was run over by his car.
- On 29 October, a report was published regarding the sentence handed down to former judge Oleksiy Tandyr.
- In May 2023, he ran over and killed National Guard soldier Vadym Bondarenko at a checkpoint in Kyiv.
- According to the investigation, Tandir was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the road traffic accident.
- The prosecution sought a ten-year prison sentence for the defendant.
Fatal road accident at a checkpoint in Kyiv
The accident occurred on the night of 26 May 2023 at a checkpoint at the entrance to Kyiv from the Zhytomyr motorway.
According to the investigation, Oleksiy Tandir, who was then president of the Makariv District Court, was driving a Lexus and ran over a member of the armed forces National Guard Vadym Bondarenko. The 23-year-old soldier died at the scene. He is survived by his wife and three children.
The investigation established that the driver was under the influence of alcohol and was travelling in excess of the speed limit.
Tandir tried to hide the fact that he was drunk
Following the accident, the police observed signs of alcohol intoxication in Tandir. However, he refused to undergo the relevant tests voluntarily. Subsequently, following a court order, biological samples were taken from him by force.
According to the State Bureau of Investigations, 18 forensic examinations were carried out during the investigation, which confirmed the presence of alcohol in the former judge’s system.
Law enforcement officers also reported attempts to influence the results of the tests. In particular, according to the investigation, Tandir submitted water and saliva for analysis instead of urine.
In August 2024, the High Council of Justice dismissed him from his post as a judge.
The prosecution sought a ten-year prison sentence
The court proceedings lasted more than three years. In September 2026, the parties concluded their closing arguments, after which Tandir delivered his closing statement.
The prosecution had sought a ten-year prison sentence for him, with a ban on driving for the same period. Tandir himself denied his guilt and claimed that the trial had been biased.
The family of the late Vadym Bondarenko also sought compensation for the harm caused. In particular, the soldier’s wife brought a civil claim for 40 million hryvnias.
The report of a nine-year prison sentence was published on 29 October. The court’s decision regarding compensation for the deceased’s family and possible additional restrictions requires clarification once the full text of the judgement has been published.
