Odesa region is the leader in the number of cases of illegal use of humanitarian aid in the South

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of southern Ukraine, law enforcement officers have opened 31 criminal proceedings in Odesa region over the illegal use of humanitarian aid.

According to Nikcenter, citing data from the Office of the Prosecutor General, this is the largest number among the southern regions of Ukraine.

For example, 27 such proceedings were opened in Mykolaiv region, and eight in the de-occupied Kherson region.

In general, from January 2022 to July 2024, 783 criminal proceedings were opened in Ukraine for the illegal use of humanitarian aid, charitable donations or free aid for profit. Most of these cases - 458 - were opened during the first year of the great war.

However, not all offenders are prosecuted. Mostly, if a "volunteer" imports a car into Ukraine, the receipt of which is not confirmed by any documents, a protocol on violation of customs rules is drawn up. The State Customs Service submits these materials to the court, which decides whether to bring the pseudo-volunteer to administrative responsibility.

The State Customs Service told Nikcenter that from March 2022 to July 2024, 970 reports on violation of customs rules were drawn up against violators of customs legislation, where the offenses were goods imported into the customs territory of Ukraine as humanitarian aid or undeclared goods imported simultaneously with humanitarian aid.

For example, in Odesa region, law enforcement officers also uncovered a scheme to enrich themselves by selling cars imported under the guise of humanitarian aid. The head of an NGO from Kyiv region and his two accomplices from Odesa sold the vehicles for profit and will be punished according to the law.

Кирило Бойко