In Mykolaiv, a sergeant who sold cars for the front did not go to prison

A court has handed down a sentence to a military servicemember who sold four cars that had been imported into Ukraine as humanitarian aid. He was sentenced to five years in prison, but he will not actually serve time behind bars. 

This is stated in the verdict of the Central District Court of Mykolaiv.

The case involves a junior sergeant who was serving under mobilization as the chief sergeant of a mortar battery in a mechanized brigade. The court found him guilty of selling humanitarian aid for profit during martial law.

According to the court, on August 1, 2025, the soldier sold four vehicles that had been imported into Ukraine as humanitarian aid. The vehicles in question were two Mercedes-Benz ML 270 CDIs, a Renault Koleos, and a BMW X5. He planned to receive $21,800 for their sale, which at the time amounted to over 909,000 hryvnias. The total market value of the vehicles was over 1.25 million hryvnias.

The soldier fully admitted his guilt and expressed remorse. The court also took into account that he had no prior criminal record, was highly regarded at his place of service, and actively assisted in solving the crime.

The probation service concluded that the man’s rehabilitation was possible without actual imprisonment. The court agreed with this and imposed a three-year probationary period.

At the same time, the court barred him for three years from holding positions or engaging in activities related to the distribution, use, and disposal of humanitarian, charitable, and volunteer aid. The court did not order the confiscation of his property.

The court ruled that the four vehicles, which served as physical evidence in the case, should be transferred to a military unit to support the fulfillment of combat missions.

Ірина Глухова