Gennadiy Balashov dies: what the odious politician is remembered for
12 November 2025 01:22
Former Ukrainian MP and leader of the libertarian party 5.10 Hennadiy Balashov has died at the age of 64. The cause of death has not yet been officially announced. This is reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to fugitive MP Artem Dmytruk and a representative of the 5.10 political party Yuriy Konovalchuk.
“Hennadiy Balashov has passed away. My sincere condolences to his family and friends,” Dmytruk wrote.
At the same time, a representative of the 5.10 political force, Yuriy Konovalchuk, blamed the “authorities” for Balashov’s death, without specifying which country, as the politician left for the United States in 2022.
The comments under this post contain unverified information that Balashov died of a heart attack.
Who is Hennadii Balashov?
Gennadiy Balashov was born in 1961. In 1998-2002, he was a member of parliament from the Yabloko faction.
In 2019, he ran for the presidency of Ukraine, gaining only 0.17% of the vote in the first round.
Balashov is known as the founder of the 5.10 political party, which promoted libertarian ideas: tax abolition and limiting the role of the state in the economy.
Gennadiy Balashov has long been involved in several scandals related to his anti-Ukrainian stance.
Criminal cases and seizure of property
In 2021, the State Fiscal Service notified Balashov of suspicion for failing to pay almost UAH 10 million in taxes and seized his property worth about UAH 200 million. In 2022, the case was brought to court, after which Balashov fled to the United States to avoid criminal liability.
After his escape, he continued to broadcast on YouTube, where he criticized the Ukrainian government, calling President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator” and describing the situation in Ukraine as “war communism.” His channel was later blocked.
Anti-Ukrainian propaganda
The SBU became interested in Balashov’s activities because of his public statements. He called for violence against those who speak Ukrainian and continued to promote anti-Ukrainian ideas even after moving to the United States.
In July 2025, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy imposed sanctions on Balashov due to his systematic anti-Ukrainian activities. The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council noted that his statements coincided with Russian narratives.
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