The head of the "Servant of the People" faction in the Cherkasy Regional Council, Araik Mkrtchyan, in the midst of a full-scale war, replenished the family "fleet" with three elite SUVs at once, registering them for his daughter Anna Araikivna. This was reported by journalist Vasyl Krutchak, referring to data from vehicle registers and official documents.
According to his information, on June 20, 2023, a 2022 BMW X4 was registered to the deputy's daughter. Already on August 2, 2023, the Mkrtchyan family made the next purchase - a 2023 BMW X5. The third car, an even more expensive 2024 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS 450 D, was registered to Anna on April 18, 2025. Thus, in less than two years of the great war, the daughter of a regional politician formally became the owner of three luxury premium foreign cars.
This is not the first time that Mkrtchyan's fortune and his family's property have been the focus of attention of anti-corruption agencies and the media. Previously, the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption established that the deputy of the Cherkasy City Council (where Mkrtchyan was also elected) did not declare more than UAH 9.7 million in savings and underestimated the value of a luxury BMW car registered to his wife by almost UAH 3.5 million. This was discussed, in particular, in the investigation of the Cherkasy publication "18000", and later the Prosecutor General's Office informed him of suspicion of false declaration.
Mkrtchyan himself then stated that the cost of the car was indicated taking into account the specifics of the purchase and sale agreement, and explained the difference with the market price as "an agreement within the family." However, it was this episode that made him a "client" of the NACP and called into question the transparency of his declarations.
The current story of three luxury cars registered to his daughter only heightens public questions about the origin of the politician's wealth. It especially contrasts with the realities of a full-scale war, when a significant portion of Ukrainians are losing their property, businesses, and homes, and military personnel and volunteers are raising funds for cars for the front, literally hryvnia by hryvnia.
Journalists and local activists are also paying attention to the political context. Araik Mkrtchyan is considered close to the deputy mayor of Cherkasy, Anastasia Chubina, and his influence in local councils goes far beyond the formal status of the head of the faction. Combined with the story of undeclared millions and the undervalued BMW registered to his wife, new data about his daughter's cars form a stable image for him as a "rich deputy" who actively transfers assets to family members.
Formally, registering property for a daughter is not a direct violation of the law. However, in the context of existing claims by the NACP and suspicions of false declaration, such behavior is perceived as an attempt to disperse assets in the family and reduce the risks of additional questions from regulatory authorities. Anti-corruption experts emphasize: such cases should be checked not only along the lines of declaration, but also from the point of view of possible illicit enrichment and compliance of income with the level of expenses.
So far, Mkrtchyan himself has not publicly commented on journalist Krutchak's information about his daughter's cars. However, given the resonance caused by the story about his wife's "cheap BMW", a new wave of questions about his assets and lifestyle will likely only increase the pressure on law enforcement agencies to provide a public and comprehensive answer.
