Firefighters built mansions for him for free, and he "forgot" to declare assets worth 19 million

The former head of the Main Department of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Vinnytsia Oblast will stand trial on charges of exploiting subordinates, illegal enrichment and declaring false information. The indictment against the ex-official has already been sent to court by prosecutors from the Office of the Prosecutor General.

According to the investigation, the former head of the regional SES systematically used personnel from fire-and-rescue units as unpaid labor. Subordinates were required to perform construction and repair work not only during official hours but also during off-duty time.

Rescuers were involved in repairing premises of a departmental training institution, as well as in the construction and improvement of the chief’s private property. The State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) previously reported that at least 5 employees were involved in such work, who from June 2024 to March 2025 worked on 4 sites in Vinnytsia and Kharkiv oblasts.

According to law enforcement, instead of performing their direct official duties, firefighters repaired and built real estate associated with their commander. They did not receive payment for this work.

During the investigation, law enforcement also found signs of illegal enrichment. The probe alleges that the official, lacking sufficient lawful income, purchased luxury cars, land plots, residential houses and securities.

To conceal the actual owner of the property, expensive assets were allegedly registered in the names of the accused’s close relatives. The difference between the value of the acquired property and the former official’s declared income exceeded 14.5 million hryvnias.

Certain allegations of the investigation relate to the ex-official’s electronic declarations. Law enforcement established that in the declarations for 2024 and 2025 he allegedly intentionally failed to disclose property that he actually used and controlled.

The total value of the assets that, according to the investigation, were concealed from declaration exceeds 19 million hryvnias.

The former head of the Main Department of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Vinnytsia Oblast is accused of recruiting people for the purpose of exploitation committed using his official position, illegal acquisition of assets whose value significantly exceeds lawful income, as well as intentionally submitting knowingly false information in declarations.

The DBR previously reported that the ex-official headed the regional SES for more than 15 years and retired in the spring of 2025. After that he headed one of the municipal enterprises in Vinnytsia. During searches, law enforcement seized property documents, digital media, a mobile phone, a video surveillance server and 10 thousand euros.

The final determination of the former official’s guilt must be made by a court. If convicted, he faces criminal liability under several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Earlier we wrote:

• A unit commander in Mykolaiv region is suspected of calculating non-existent combat allowances
• Not a commander but a racketeer: an officer of a military unit collected “tribute” from fighters
• A commander involved subordinates in building his house: nearly one million hryvnias of “combat” payments received
• “Special tasks” for servicemen: cottages and a barbecue area
• A commander in Odesa region was exposed for using soldiers to build a personal estate