Mayors of Mykolaiv region hid luxury cars in their families

While some mayors of Mykolaiv region have remained faithful to Soviet rarities for symbolic money, their family car fleets are filled with luxury crossovers. The cars are often registered to their wives, while the officials themselves officially own only trailers or old trucks.

The Center forPublic Investigations, together with Intent, analyzed the declarations of mayors of Mykolaiv region. The rating includes reports from the mayors of Bashtanka, Voznesensk, Mykolaiv and Pervomaisk.

The car preferences of Ukrainian mayors range from outdated Soviet vehicles to modern premium models, and the ownership structure often reveals interesting details about the real wealth of officials.

Yevhen Velychko 's vehicle fleet consists of seven vehicles, mostly commercial vehicles, purchased before he took office. The most active period of replenishment was in 2017, when he registered four FIAT DOBLO cars of different modifications (2011-2014) at once. At the same time, there is no information about their cost in the declaration.

In 2018-2019, Velychko expanded his fleet with two MAN trucks - TGL 7.150 and 26.414 models. As in the case of the previous vehicles, the prices are not specified in the documents.

The only vehicle with an open price was a 2020 TOYOTA RAV-4 HYBRID, which appeared in the official's possession on the eve of the election. Its price was over UAH 1.18 million, making it the most expensive car among those declared.

The situation is different in the family of Bashtanka mayor Oleksandr Berehovoi: he owns only a 2008 cargo trailer, while the main cars are registered in his wife's name. Yelyzaveta Berehova owns two Skoda crossovers - a 2021 Kodiaq (worth over UAH 1.06 million) and a 2023 Kamiq (almost UAH 941 thousand). The total cost of these cars is close to two million hryvnias.

The mayor of Mykolaiv , Oleksandr Senkevych , declared only an Indian Scout Bobber motorcycle purchased in 2024 for about UAH 223 thousand. He does not own a car, while his wife uses a rented Volvo XC90.

The declaration of Pervomaisk Mayor Oleh Demchenko combines two extremes: a vintage 1964 GAZ M21 valued at 3 thousand hryvnias and a 2013 Porsche Cayenne used by the family. This car was purchased in 2019 for 400 thousand hryvnias.

Despite the outward restraint in their declarations, the families of officials actively use modern cars, which are often registered in the names of their relatives, not directly in the names of the mayors themselves.

The mayors of Mykolaiv region also disclosed their incomes, with the largest amounts declared by Mykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych. At the same time, the financial performance of other community leaders varies significantly, from millions in income to much more modest amounts.

Анна Бальчінос