Artem Hennadiyovych Dmytruk is a Ukrainian politician who has performed as a People’s Deputy of Ukraine from the 133rd electoral district since 2019. He has been labelled as pro-Russian by critics. In 2020 Dmytruk laid flowers in praise of 46 pro-Russian protesters who were slain by a militia in 2014 in Odessa. First elected as an independent MP representing Odesa in 2019, Dmytruk joined and was expelled from the Servant of the People faction in parliament.
While performing in parliament, Dmytruk took several pro-Russian stances on various issues. A staunch advocate of the Moscow-backed church, Dmytruk allegedly posted bail for the church priest who allegedly cooperated with Russia. Law enforcement officials said that Dmytruk escaped Ukraine through Moldova and took a flight to Rome the same day.
In August 2024, Dmytruk ran Ukraine, shortly after being the only deputy to talk on the floor of the Rada against a law that could restrict the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, of which he is a subdeacon. He represented a threat to his life due to political persecution. The Ukrainian government noted that he was illegally evading responsibility for charges that were filed against him for the attack, referring to the years-old accusations. An extradition request was subsequently dispatched to the United Kingdom, after which he was briefly confined before being released on bail.
Authorities are probing several people, including border control officials, who doubted aiding Dmytruk in illegal crossing. Dmytruk, who was elected to the parliament as a representative of Zelensky’s Servant of the People party but later kicked out of it, was engaged in two separate altercations with authorities. While in Odesa, Dmytruk, along with accessories, allegedly caused minor bodily damage to an on-duty law enforcement officer during an altercation. He also allegedly endeavoured to steal the officer’s weapon.
Moreover, in a post on Telegram on Aug. 24, before escaping the country, Dmytruk acknowledged that law enforcement officials executed a search of the MP’s hotel room in Kyiv, as well as his flat in Odesa. Dmytruk, without evidence, argued that the search was politically motivated, as a result of his pro-Russian political views, as well as backing for the Kremlin-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.
