Elite fleet upgrade: officials are buying luxury cars, real estate, and watches en masse in 2026 year

Elite fleet upgrade: officials are buying luxury cars, real estate, and watches en masse in 2026 year

4,5 months after the declaration deadline passed, immediately 28 MPs, judges, deputies, and officials reported significant changes in their material standing. First and foremost, these concerned purchases of expensive assets.

They bought real estate, luxury cars, and watches costing hundreds of thousands of hryvnias. For example, member of the parliamentary group "Platform for Life and Peace" Volodymyr Kaltsyev (elected from the banned OPZZh) purchased a Rolex SA for almost 1 million UAH. And judge and secretary of the judicial chamber of the Supreme Court Zhanna Melnyk-Tomenko acquired a brand-new Land Rover Range Rover Sport for 8,5 million UAH.

OBOZ.UA looked into what exactly public officials bought in 2026 year and how much it cost. And most importantly — whether they had officially declared funds for it.

20 luxury cars

In 20 cases, declarants reported the purchase of luxury cars. In other words, the “replenishment” of elite vehicles in the fleets of Ukrainian high-ranking officials and politicians made up the lion’s share of all significant changes in their material status — 71,43%.

The price of such cars ranges from 1,16 million to 8,5 million UAH. So, for the most expensive one you could buy 7 of the “cheapest” ones — and still have money left over.

As noted, the most prominent was Supreme Court judicial chamber secretary Zhanna Melnyk-Tomenko, who purchased a Land Rover Range Rover Sport 2026 year of manufacture for 8,5 million UAH. The car was sold to the judge by the company "Vidi-Power", which is part of the "Vidi Group".

Earlier this group appeared in an investigation by "Anticorruption Dimension" concerning a dubious purchase of special-purpose vehicles for the Mykolaiv police security service. As analysts explained then, "although the police supposedly ordered a special-purpose vehicle, the tender requirements did not specify any special equipment for the car."

Melnyk-Tomenko bought the car on 24 June. On the same day, according to her declaration, she received 2,021 million UAH in income from the company "Vidi Used Cars" — through the "disposal of movable property." That company, as its name suggests, is also part of the "Vidi Group." In other words, it appears the judge first sold a car to one company, and then bought another car from a different company within the same group.

Incidentally, in her annual declaration for 2025 year Melnyk-Tomenko stated she owned a Volkswagen Touareg 2022 year of manufacture valued at 2,435 million UAH, and also used a Nissan Juke 2014 year of manufacture with no value listed, which belongs to her husband. However, it is not yet possible to say that one of these cars was sold to finance the Land Rover Range Rover Sport 2026 year of manufacture — that will become clear after the next declaration campaign.

However, 2,021 million is not 8,5 million UAH. Moreover, in the “Expenses” section the judge indicated she spent 2,021 million UAH on purchasing the vehicle — and also paid 354,194 thousand UAH as a fee. Thus, it can be assumed that she did not pay the full amount for her Land Rover Range Rover Sport upfront — but, say, took the car on installment.

Although in reality she could have paid the full amount for the car immediately. Even without taking into account the judge’s salary for the past year (you have to live somehow), which was 5,05 million UAH (about 421 thousand UAH per month), Melnyk-Tomenko could have bought an elite car from savings, of which she has, to put it mildly, quite a lot. Among other things, she declared:

9,93 million UAH placed in bank accounts;

2,92 million UAH in cash;

609 thousand UAH in bank interest.

OBOZ.UA contacted both the Supreme Court and Melnyk-Tomenko herself requesting comment, but at the time of publication no responses had been received. If they arrive, they will be published.

In the top of the most expensive cars purchased by high-ranking officials in 2026 year there are two more cars that were paid for at over 5 million UAH. Namely:

MP Yurii Shapovalov (parliamentary group "Platform for Life and Peace") bought a Zeekr 9X Ultra 2026 year of manufacture for 5,7 million UAH.

The company that sold the car to the MP was "SKM-1." It is owned by Olha Slynko, and the firm’s director is Yurii Slynko. According to YouControl, in 2010 year he was elected to the Zvenyhorodka district council from the "Party of Regions," which later evolved into OPZZh, which over time transformed into the "Platform for Life and Peace," represented by Shapovalov. However, in 2020 Slynko was elected to the Zvenyhorodka district council from a different political force — "Servant of the People."

Shapovalov did not declare any additional income that could explain the purchase of an expensive car. In expenses he wrote that he paid for the car twice, 2,85 million UAH each time. So it appears he paid the entire amount at once. Also, the MP indicated he gave 341,52 thousand UAH as a loan.

But does he have the money? Actually, yes. According to the MP’s annual declaration, he keeps 1,57 million dollars in cash (at the exchange rate on 12 June, when the first payment for the car was made, this amounted to 70,533 million UAH) and 3,2 million UAH. His wife also has 8,8 million UAH.

MP Viktor Myalyk (group "Party For the Future") purchased a Lexus LM350h 2026 year of manufacture for 5,28 million UAH.

The car was bought from the company "Vidi Elite," which is also part of the same "Vidi Group." Like his colleague Shapovalov, Myalyk did not declare income specifically for the car. In expenses he indicated he paid 2,58 million UAH for the vehicle.

On one hand, it can be assumed the MP took the car on installment and at the time of purchase paid only part of the money. But on the other hand, it is possible he paid for his LEXUS in full — and simply failed to write the sum correctly in the declaration — because:

The total price he listed for the car was 5 282 060 UAH.

The amount listed in expenses was 2 582 060 UAH. In other words, the first two digits are swapped. So either it was carelessness, or indeed some kind of "cunning plan."

Myalyk does have money. Besides immediately 130 sources of income (among them — income from disposal of real estate, income from renting out property, salary, etc.), which together brought his family 24,377 million UAH, the MP keeps, among other things, 9,45 million UAH in cash, and his wife has tens of millions in the banks.

Who bought the most housing

There hasn’t been much new real estate among the powerful yet — only 3 properties. The largest — 115,5 sq. m. — was declared by Deputy Minister of Energy Anatolii Kutsevol.

According to the declaration, the apartment’s value is 5,507 million UAH. However, in expenses Kutsevol listed only 444,125 thousand UAH. In a comment to OBOZ.UA he explained:

"I have already officially registered the apartment in my ownership; it was purchased on installment starting in 2024 while I was serving as Ukraine’s Ambassador to Latvia, the quarterly payment was 414-444 thousand UAH depending on the exchange rate on the payment date. Payments were made either monthly or quarterly. When a payment exceeded 150, it was reflected in the declaration as a significant change," the official said.

Indeed, in the annual declaration for 2025 year he listed 4,21 million UAH as "funds under a preliminary apartment purchase agreement," transferred to the same company from which the housing was purchased (Closed non-diversified venture corporate investment fund "Dinat", which, according to YouControl, is affiliated with the "Intergal-Bud" group). And in the declaration filed in January 2026 year before resigning as deputy defense minister, he stated that he had already transferred 4,63 million UAH to "Dinat."

Meanwhile, in the declaration for 2024 year Kutsevol indicated he had transferred 2,846 million UAH to "Dinat" under the preliminary apartment purchase agreement. So, he likely paid for the housing gradually. Especially since he began declaring it starting in 2024 year.

Nevertheless, Kutsevol does not show great wealth. For example, in the declaration for 2025 year he stated he keeps 30 thousand euros in cash, and his wife — 20 thousand dollars and 10 thousand euros. His mother also had about 5 thousand euros, and Kutsevol himself invested several million in the investment fund "Linter."

A watch worth a million

In addition to luxury cars and real estate, Ukrainian high-ranking officials declared expensive watches in 2026 year. The most expensive belongs to MP from the same "Platform for Life and Peace" Volodymyr Kaltsyev. According to his declaration, he was gifted a Rolex SA for 964 thousand UAH. The gift was made by his son, Oleksandr.

And Deputy Head of the South-Eastern Interregional Department of the State Labor Service Dmytro Plys declared a Rolex Datejust for 430 thousand UAH. He noted that the watch is used. That is, it was likely previously owned and worn.

Plys also received his Rolex as a gift. That present was given by his wife.

And judge of the Markivskyi District Court of Luhansk region Taras Lohvynenko declared a Breitling Navitimer Automatic GMT 41 A32310251B1A1 watch for 308 thousand UAH. He bought it himself. And he probably did not become very poor, because in his annual declaration for 2025 year he indicated he holds 2 million UAH in cash.