Serhiy Kuznetsov, head of the department for organizing work on social statistics at the statistics department in the Odessa region, became a subject of the investigation due to the sharp contrast between his declared assets and modest income. Despite owning several apartments, a garage, and having cash savings in dollars, the official even received charitable assistance.
According to the Absolution detective agency, Kuznetsov's official income last year was only 294,600 hryvnias - less than 25,000 per month. At the same time, the official owns three apartments in Odessa, a garage, and a 2007 Hyundai Tucson car, valued at 45,600 hryvnias.
According to the declaration, Kuznetsov owns:
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an apartment with an area of 41.2 m², purchased in 2018 for 153 thousand UAH;
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an apartment of 50.6 m², purchased in 2018 for 66 thousand UAH;
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an apartment of 55.9 m², purchased on September 26, 2025 for UAH 300,000;
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a 24 m² garage, which he has been using since 2018.
The cost of a square meter in the first two cases is about 3,700 and 1,300 UAH, which is 5–10 times less than the market price for housing in Odessa in 2018 (15–20 thousand UAH per m²). The source of funds is Nadiya Ivanivna Kuznetsova, a citizen of Ukraine, presumably a relative of the official, but the declaration does not specify her relationship with the declarant.
Lawyers suggest that undervalued real estate may indicate income concealment or fictitious transactions. Such schemes are often used to launder shadow funds or avoid paying taxes.
The most surprising thing was that Kuznetsov, with three apartments and $20,000 in cash, received charitable assistance from the Primary Trade Union Organization of the Ukrainian Workers' Union in the Odessa region in the amount of 1,300 hryvnias.
This fact raises questions not only of an ethical nature, but also of a legal nature - because trade union assistance is traditionally aimed at supporting workers in difficult situations, not individuals with multi-million dollar assets.
Experts emphasize that such cases indicate systemic problems in controlling the accuracy of declarations and demonstrate how formal officials treat the requirements of financial transparency.
The situation with Serhiy Kuznetsov is a typical example of Ukrainian “modest officials” with expensive assets.
According to official documents, it's a low salary, but in reality, it's a few apartments in a coastal city, a car, dollar savings, and even symbolic "assistance" from the union.
