UNFOUNDED: Ukrainian officials are stealing money for renaming courts in Crimea

Russian Telegram channels claim that Ukrainian officials are embezzling money through the renaming of courts in occupied Crimea and Sevastopol.

These claims are unfounded. There is no evidence of embezzlement related to the renaming of courts in Crimea. Actual renaming involving the replacement of signs and plaques is currently not carried out in the occupied territories.

On February 26, 2025, the Verkhovna Rada approved a draft law to rename 103 local general courts in both Ukraine-controlled and temporarily occupied territories, including Crimea. The draft law is important in the context of decommunization, as many Ukrainian courts still bear imperial names from Soviet times.

Additionally, according to the explanatory note of the initiative, this draft law is “balanced and does not require additional budget expenditures”. This likely means that any potential implementation costs will be covered by reallocating already approved budget funds — for example, from the funds allocated for court operations.

As noted by the Main Scientific and Expert Department of the Verkhovna Rada’s staff in its conclusion on the draft law, renaming courts will require the replacement of signs, seals, etc., which will entail budget expenditures.

However, these expenses do not apply to courts in temporarily occupied territories. Changes in documents do not require funds, and it is currently impossible to physically replace signs and plaques there. Initiatives related to renaming (not only of courts but also, for instance, of streets) in the occupied territories will be implemented after deoccupation.

Therefore, there is currently no basis to claim that officials are stealing money through court renaming in the occupied territories. Neither reliable Ukrainian media nor anti-corruption organizations have reported such schemes. Propagandists also, as usual, provide no evidence for their claims.

According to international law, particularly UN General Assembly Resolution No. 68/262, Crimea and Sevastopol, as well as other temporarily occupied territories, are officially recognized as part of Ukraine. Under Ukrainian law, these are temporarily occupied territories that are an integral part of Ukraine and are subject to the Constitution and laws of the state. Therefore, including occupied territories in legislative initiatives is not evidence of “misappropriation” of funds, but rather adherence to legal order, as these territories are legally Ukrainian.

Previously, we debunked a similar fake claiming that officials profit from renaming streets in occupied settlements.