Over $13,000 for three vehicles: a man in the Mykolaiv region was detained for selling aid intended for the army

In Mykolaiv Oblast law enforcement detained a 49-year-old resident of Kazanka, who is suspected of selling cars imported into Ukraine as humanitarian aid for the needs of servicemen. This was reported on 22 May 2026 by the Mykolaiv police.

According to the investigation, the man posted ads on social networks offering all-terrain vehicles with foreign registration for sale. These cars were brought into Ukraine under simplified procedures as humanitarian aid for the military, however, according to law enforcement, they were being turned into a source of profit.

The illegal actions of the resident of Bashtanka district were exposed by investigators of the investigative department of the police with operational support from the Department of Strategic Investigations in DSR NPU in Mykolaiv Oblast and the military counterintelligence unit of the SBU. During the investigation, law enforcement established that the suspect had Mercedes-Benz ML 270, Toyota Rav 4 and BMW X5 at his disposal. According to the police, he valued each car at up to five thousand US dollars. The suspect was detained during a meeting with a buyer. For three vehicles he received over 13,000 US dollars. After that, investigators detained the man in accordance with Art. 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine.

During searches, law enforcement seized vehicles with foreign registration, money, more than 350 assorted-caliber rounds, several types of grenades and detonators for them. On the basis of collected evidence, investigators informed the man of suspicion of selling humanitarian aid goods for profit, committed on a large scale during martial law. This concerns part 3 of Article 201-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The article’s sanction provides for up to seven years imprisonment with disqualification from holding certain positions or engaging in certain activities for up to three years, as well as confiscation of property.

Separately, investigators opened a criminal case for illegal handling of ammunition under part 1 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Everything seized was sent for expert examination. After receiving the experts’ conclusions, law enforcement will make further procedural decisions. The court has already imposed a preventive measure on the suspect — detention with the right to post bail. Police are currently establishing how the vehicles reached the suspect and whether other persons were involved in this scheme.

This case again raises a painful question: the aid that foreign partners, volunteers or charities provide for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) should work for the front, not become merchandise on social networks. During the war such schemes look particularly cynical, because each such vehicle could help military personnel carry out combat missions, evacuate the wounded or deliver supplies to positions.

Previously we wrote:

• The Armed Forces were only a cover: another scheme to sell humanitarian cars uncovered
• A serviceman sold 4 humanitarian jeeps for $17,000
• Fake humanitarian aid for the AFU: in Mykolaiv a court confiscated five SUVs
• Aid for the AFU became merchandise: a serviceman from Mykolaiv detained for selling “humanitarian aid”
• A serviceman in Mykolaiv region tried to sell vehicles brought in by volunteers for the needs of the AFU