Vinnytsia City Court found Yevheniy Matveyev guilty of violating customs regulations when importing cars into Ukraine under the guise of humanitarian aid for the Armed Forces. The decision was made on September 10, 2025, without the presence of the accused.
According to the investigation, Matveyev imported cars, registering them as humanitarian aid for the charitable foundation "Support of Battalions of Ukraine." However, the foundation itself denied any connection with Matveyev and claimed that it did not issue any documents.
After two years of legal proceedings, four cars were confiscated, and the violator was fined 100% of the cost of the imported cars:
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Land Rover Freelander — fine of UAH 54,000;
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Renault Trafic — fine of 42 thousand UAH;
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SsangYong Rexton — fine of UAH 143,000;
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Fiat Ducato — fine of 290 thousand UAH.
The total amount of fines exceeded UAH 530,000.
This case raises a broader question about the scale of illegal car imports under the guise of humanitarian aid. Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 174, which simplifies the import of cars for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has become a loophole for fraudsters, through which commercial importers have received cars without paying duties.
Customs is already conducting an audit to determine how many cars, formally "for the front," actually ended up in private garages.
