A Kyiv district court recognized a same-sex couple, one of whom is an Israel-based embassy worker, as a family for the first time in Ukraine's history, LGBTQ+ organization Insight announced on Thursday.
The couple, Zoryan Kis and Tymur Levchuk, have been together for over a decade. Kis works as the first secretary of the Ukrainian embassy in Israel.
Ukraine does not currently recognize same-sex marriages, and the ruling could mark a critical turning point for LGBTQ+ rights in the country.
In a post on LinkedIn, Levchuk described it as "a historic step toward equality in Ukraine."
"Zoryan and I have been together since 2013. We held a civil ceremony in Ukraine in 2017 and legally married in the United States in 2021. But here at home, our relationship has remained invisible in the eyes of the law," he wrote.
"When Zoryan was sent abroad on diplomatic service, I was not allowed to accompany him because the Ministry of Foreign Affairs refused to recognize us. That separation — painful and unjust — led us to file a lawsuit."
"With the incredible support of our lawyer Oksana Huz, Olena Shevchenko, and the team at NGO Insight, the court ruled in our favor. It recognized that we have built a shared life together and affirmed our right to be treated as a family."
Judge rules in Diplomat in Israel's favor
On Facebook, Kis said, "Now we have a court ruling that confirms the feelings Tymur Levchuk and I have for each other. Sincere thanks to the judge who considered our case." Kis was appointed to his position at the embassy in Israel in June 2024, according to Ynet.
The couple has lived together for 12 years and has been married for four years. They held a civil ceremony in Ukraine in 2017 and were legally married in the United States. The Kyiv Independent reported that the court considered this, alongside documentation of the two's shared finances and property, witness testimony, shared property, and other documents proving the two's partnership.
While same-sex marriages are still not wholly recognized in Ukraine, there is growing public support for LGBTQ+ rights.
A 2024 poll from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found that over 70% of Ukrainians believe that LGBTQ+ people should have equal rights.