Olexander Vasilyovich Scherba (; born 22 June 1970) is a Ukrainian diplomat, Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of South Africa, who worked as Ambassador of Ukraine to Austria in 2014âÂÂ2021.
Graduated from Kyiv Shevchenko University in 1993 (German and English philology). PhD in political sciences (Kyiv Institute of International Relations) in 2001.
Entered diplomatic service in March 1995. In 1996-2000, worked as attaché, third secretary at UkraineâÂÂs Embassy to Germany (Bonn, Berlin). In 2000-2003 he worked as first secretary, deputy chief of staff, speechwriter to UkraineâÂÂs foreign minister Anatoliy Zlenko, helped writing his book âÂÂPolitics and DiplomacyâÂÂ. In 2004-2008 Scherba served as counselor at UkraineâÂÂs Embassy to the United States. He was congressional liaison, and liaison for international Jewish organizations. On November 22, 2004, he authored the statement of protest against falsification of presidential elections in Ukraine. Three further diplomats of the embassy joined the statement.
Since 2008 he contributes as columnist to UkraineâÂÂs central weekly newspaper Dzerkalo Tyzhnia. In 2008-2009, he worked at the EU Department of UkraineâÂÂs MFA. In 2009-2010, during the presidential campaign, he was advisor to then presidential candidate Arseniy Yatsenyuk. In 2010-2013, he worked as ambassador-at-large at UkraineâÂÂs Foreign ministry. In 2013-2014, he served as advisor to UkraineâÂÂs first vice-prime-minister Serhiy Arbuzov, being in charge of negotiations with IMF and European Union (in particular, with regard to preparation of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement).
In FebruaryâÂÂNovember 2014, he returned to UkraineâÂÂs Foreign ministry as ambassador-at-large, participated in the information group, countering RussiaâÂÂs aggression in Crimea and Donbas. He was the main author of the address by UkraineâÂÂs president Petro Poroshenko to American Congress in September 2014. On 17 November 2014, he was appointed UkraineâÂÂs ambassador to Austria.
In October of 2018, Scherba claimed that British journalist Graham Phillips had called him a 'fascist', and attempted to provoke him into a fight at his ambassador's residence in Vienna.
His book âÂÂVaccination from Darknessâ was published in Ukrainian in 2020. Ukraine's PEN Club included it to 2020 top-15 best books in the category âÂÂessaysâÂÂ.
His book âÂÂUkraine vs. Darkness. Undiplomatic Thoughtsâ was published in English by the German publishing house âÂÂIbidemâ on April 30, 2021.
On April 28, 2021 he was recalled as ambassador to Austria and officially relinquished his duties on July 11, 2021.
He was appointed Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of South Africa on July 21, 2025.