Ukrainian Officials Declare Incomes as Fontanka Head Resigns Amid Scandals

The week was marked by a number of events that attracted attention. Among them were the declaration of officials' income, the lack of confidence in the head of the council in Fontanka, the situation on the beaches, and the issue of evacuation of vehicles in Odesa. Read more about these events in our review.

The focus of the week - officials' declarations

• March 31 was the last day when officials of all levels were required to file their 2024 declarations.
• The mandatory declaration for officials was temporarily suspended in the first weeks of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. However, on October 10, 2023, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law on the return of electronic declaration of officials with the immediate opening of declarations.
• This year, the President of Ukraine made his assets public. The income of Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his family members in 2024 amounted to 15 million 286 thousand 193 hryvnias.
• The salaries of Ukrainian ministers for 2024 have become known. The highest paid minister in 2024 was Rustem Umerov: the head of the Defense Ministry earned 1.6 million hryvnias during the year. Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko earned a little less - UAH 1.594 million.
• There are also declarations of the heads of the regional military administrations. For example, Vitaliy Kim, head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, earned 1.762 million hryvnias last year.
• The president, ministers, and heads of other regional military administrations submit declarations, but the head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, Oleh Kiper, keeps his income secret. As a reminder, the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption classified Kiper's declarations for 2021, 22, and 23 due to mobilization. Apparently, the declaration for 2024 will also remain a big secret.
• Mayors of regional centers also declared their assets for 2024. Ihor Terekhov, the mayor of frontline Kharkiv, is the first among those with an annual salary of more than UAH 2 million. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko was third in the ranking in 2024 with a salary of UAH 1,233 thousand. Hennadiy Trukhanov is in sixth place, having declared UAH 1.116 million in salary.

Fontanka no longer has a head of the village council

Natalia Krupytsia. Photo: Fontanska ATC

• Deputies of the Fontanka village council voted to pass a motion of no confidence in the council chairwoman Natalia Krupytsia and to terminate her powers early.
• The authors of the initiative accused Natalia Krupytsia of violating the laws of Ukraine, which is grounds for a vote of no confidence.
• The deputies accused the head of the village council of inaction in eliminating an unauthorized landfill in the community. They also recalled several court decisions that found the head of the village council guilty of inaction.
• The vote was attended by 18 deputies. Nine were absent. 18 deputies voted in favor of Natalia Krupytsia's resignation.
• In early March, a court denied a motion by members of the Odesa Regional Council to release Natalia Krupytsia, head of the Fontansky village council, on bail.
• The court rejected the appeal of Natalia Krupytsia 's defense lawyers against the decision to remove her from the post of chairman.
• The Kyiv District Court of Odesa temporarily removed Natalia Krupytsia from office on February 11. A week earlier, she was detained.
• According to law enforcement officials, Krupytsia was notified of being suspected of two articles: misappropriation of property by abuse of office (Article 191(5) of the Criminal Code) and forgery (Article 366(1) of the Criminal Code). She faces up to 12 years in prison with disqualification to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years and confiscation of property.
• As explained by the police, Krupytsia entered into a contract with a construction firm to reconstruct the embankment along the Black Sea coast.

The beach season is over

Photo: Intent/Natalia Dovbysh

• This year, the authorities plan to open 48 beaches for vacationers.
• For comparison, in 2024, the number of sites for vacationers was more than 2.5 times less - 20.
• The following conditions are mandatory: a diving survey of the bottom, the availability of shelters or relevant agreements.
• In addition to the diving survey of the bottom, the beaches are also checked for fuel oil stains that spread across the Black Sea after the Russian tanker accidents.
• There will be no inclusive beach in Luzanivka this year, as the military did not approve its opening.
• Other inclusive beaches will continue to operate.
• According to the mayor, some beach tenants have already purchased equipment, including special elevators, and are setting up areas for people with limited mobility.

Forced evacuation

Photo: protocol.ua

In Odesa, forced evacuation of cars may begin as early as May.

Preparations are underway to launch a system for evacuating cars that significantly interfere with traffic. The necessary documents are currently being finalized and the evacuation procedure is being determined.

According to preliminary information, the cost of evacuation will be UAH 2000. If a car is parked on tram tracks or creates serious obstacles to traffic, it may be forcibly evacuated, and the owner will have to pay not only a fine but also the cost of transportation.

Moldova expels three Russian diplomats

Photo: ua.news

The Moldovan Foreign Ministry has expelled three employees of the Russian Embassy in Moldova after the Information and Security Service said that the diplomatic mission helped pro-Russian MP Alexandru Nesterovschi escape from justice.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Chisinau summoned Oleg Ozerov, the Russian ambassador to Moldova, on March 31, shortly after the director of Moldova's Information and Security Service, Alexandru Mustiatea, said that the authorities had confirmed information about the diplomats' role in Nesterovschi's escape.

According to Moldovan authorities, representatives of the Russian diplomatic mission transported Nesterovsky in a car with diplomatic license plates to the Transnistrian region on March 19. On the same day, the MP was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

A few hours before the court hearing, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered Nesterovschi Russian citizenship on the grounds that he was being persecuted by Moldovan authorities.

The director of the Information and Security Service characterized the embassy's actions as hybrid actions against the Republic of Moldova.

Ігор Льов