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Editor's note: The article was expanded with comments by Oleksandr Markushyn for the Kyiv Independent.
Oleksandr Markushyn, the mayor of Irpin, has been involved in smuggling cars under the guise of providing aid to Ukraine's defense forces, according to NGL Media's investigation published on April 21.
Markushyn created and led a volunteer territorial community formation (DFTG) in late March 2022, in the early days of Russia's full-scale invasion. Over the next few months, he personally applied for the duty-free import of vehicles to be used by the unit, NGL Media reported.
According to the customs, Infiniti QX30, Infiniti QX50, Nissan Navara, Volkswagen Touran, and Volkswagen Transporter were imported into Ukraine as humanitarian aid at Markushin's request.
None of the vehicles were actually delivered to the Ukrainian defense forces, the investigation said.
Five cars imported to Ukraine duty-free were not registered in Ukraine's Interior Ministry's database either. Investigative journalists suggested that the cars were dismantled for parts and later sold, adding that there could be more such vehicles.
Talking to the Kyiv Independent, Markushyn denied signing the documents mentioned in the investigation, dismissing the piece as a smear campaign linked to his political opponent.
"This case is not new at all—it started last year. I explained this case to the police several times. We cooperate with the investigation as much as possible to determine who is to blame for the situation," Markushyn said.
"I did not sign any acts of acceptance and transfer of these cars; I was not provided with them. I have not seen these cars in person."
The mayor also claimed the investigation's author did not contact him, even though the article says Markushyn declined to comment.
Markushyn may face imprisonment for five to seven years and a fine of over Hr 435,000 ($10,400) if his involvement in the scheme is proven.
Markushyn was elected mayor of Irpin in October 2020 for the New Faces political party.
In January, Kyiv's Pecherskyi Court briefly placed Markushyn in custody and suspended him from office amid suspicions that he falsified his grounds for a stay in Italy in August 2022, already during the full-scale war.
Men aged 18-60 are prohibited from leaving the country under martial law, barring special circumstances.
Markushyn is suspected of having visited his 2-year-old son in Italy even though he claimed to travel abroad to secure aid. The mayor considers the court case to be "politicized and ordered by his opponents."
Dominic Culverwell
