Mykolaiv region exposes scheme to sell humanitarian aid to the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Two residents of Mykolaiv region illegally sold cars that were delivered to Ukraine as humanitarian aid for the Armed Forces. The court sentenced them to prison, and part of their bail was used to support the army.

This is stated in the ruling of the Kryvoozersky District Court of Mykolaiv region.

A judicial investigation into the illegal sale of cars that were delivered to Ukraine as humanitarian aid for the Armed Forces has been completed in Mykolaiv region. The investigation established that two residents of the village of Myhia acted on a pre-planned scheme that allowed them to sell cars intended for the military and make a significant profit.

The story began in late 2023.

After the start of Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine, humanitarian aid was coming into the country, including cars intended for the army. However, one of the local residents decided to take advantage of this for his own benefit. He developed a criminal plan: to receive vehicles abroad, officially register them as humanitarian aid through charitable organizations, which allowed him to pass customs control under a simplified procedure, and then sell these cars on the local market.

To realize his plan, he involved his father, who was able to cross the border without hindrance because he was removed from the military register. Thus, his father regularly transported cars from Poland to Ukraine. The paperwork was done through the charity fund "Why So?" and later through their own organization, "Auto for Victory." For each car, they paid about 150 euros for documents, and then sold the vehicles to the military and civilians.

During the trial, it turned out that between December 2023 and March 2024, the defendants sold cars worth more than UAH 1.4 million. The defendants said that they started this activity at the suggestion of one of the military officers, who convinced them of the "legality" of such transactions.

The court found them guilty of committing a crime under Part 3 of Article 201-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and sentenced them to five years in prison with confiscation of property and deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to humanitarian aid for two years. However, due to their remorse and cooperation with the investigation, the convicts were released from serving their sentences with a probationary period of two years.

In addition, the defendants were charged with almost UAH 50 thousand to pay for the examinations. Part of the bail will be used to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Also in Mykolaiv, a military officer suspected of illegally selling vehicles intended for the Armed Forces was detained. According to the investigation, in July 2025, he tried to sell several SUVs imported as humanitarian aid for the Defense Forces via the Internet.

Анна Бальчінос