Court of Appeal for first time in Ukraine confirms marital relations between two men
The Kyiv Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the Desnianskyi District Court recognizing the fact of cohabitation and marital relations between two men — Zorian Kis, First Secretary of the Embassy of Ukraine in Israel, and his partner, Tymur Levchuk.
Censor.NET reports this with reference to the NGO Insight.
In June 2025, the Desnianskyi District Court of Kyiv for the first time in Ukraine’s history recognized a same-sex couple as a family, establishing the fact of cohabitation and de facto marital relations.
The ruling set an important precedent, since Ukraine currently lacks legally established institutions for recognizing same-sex partnerships. Judicial recognition of family relations has thus become the only instrument for protecting the rights of such couples.
However, the case did not end at the first-instance level. Following the Desnianskyi District Court’s ruling, the NGO Vsirazom! filed an appeal, claiming a violation of its rights and interests in defending "traditional family values."
On September 10, the Court of Appeal heard the case of Zorian Kis and Tymur Levchuk.
"The Kyiv Court of Appeal dismissed the complaint, upholding the decision of the Desnianskyi District Court, which for the first time in Ukraine’s history recognized two men as a family, acknowledging the existence of marital relations between them. We are very glad about this decision. It is a step forward for the entire LGBTI+ community," the NGO noted.
The couple said they have lived together since 2013, held a civil wedding ceremony in 2017, and officially married in the United States (Utah) in 2021, obtaining a U.S. marriage certificate.
Kis and Levchuk presented evidence showing they had been in a relationship for more than 10 years, sharing a household, expenses, vacations and mutual care. The court received photographs, airline tickets from joint trips, and testimony from neighbors and acquaintances confirming that the diplomat and his partner have lived together for years and built a family relationship.
When issuing its decision, the Desnianskyi District Court cited the Constitution of Ukraine and a 1999 ruling of the Constitutional Court expanding the definition of family members, as well as European Court of Human Rights case law on the right to family life.
Activists supported the couple during the proceedings. They stood outside the courthouse with posters reading: "My family exists, but the state doesn’t recognize it," "Family over stereotypes," and "LBTQ+ people aren’t taking away your rights, they just want the same ones."
Earlier, it was reported that in June 2025, the Desnianskyi District Court of Kyiv recognized the existence of de facto marital relations between two men, Ukrainian citizens.
