By the end of the third year of russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, many Ukrainians are experiencing a growing sense of dissonance. While Ukrainian soldiers appeal daily for help in purchasing vehicles for combat missions, more and more ultra-expensive Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Rolls-Royce cars are appearing in Ukrainian cities.
How Ukrainians Spent 125 Billion Hryvnias on New Cars During Three Years of War
In 2024, Ukrainians bought nearly 70,000 new passenger cars, spending a total of 125 billion hryvnias. This is 14% more cars than in 2023 and an 18% increase in spending, according to Ukravtoprom. The news angered many Ukrainians, who found it hard to believe — while most people are barely making ends meet and collecting money for the military’s needs, others are spending huge amounts on expensive foreign cars, choosing comfort and luxury instead of helping the country.
Former Ukrainian MP and now soldier Oleg Lyashko was among those who criticized the buyers of new cars. “Does this nation even understand what’s happening? Those of you buying Bentleys and other fancy junk instead of getting a pickup and sending it to the front, where vehicles are destroyed every day — do you really get what’s going on in this country? Do you understand that this country is fighting to survive? That it’s barely holding under the enemy’s attacks, and every car at the front is like gold, like blood? And you, you bastards, are out here buying new cars?” he said in a video message, which, according to him, was his first public statement in three years of war.
“There’s a war in the country, and people are getting richer,” wrote a user under an Instagram post by Maksym Maksymov, a blogger from Odesa, showing off his newly bought 2020 Lamborghini Urus SUV in August 2023. Such a car costs around $400,000 — an enormous amount of money. We decided to check who these people are — the ones who, during a devastating war, while most of the population is struggling to survive, continue to live in luxury and buy high-end foreign cars.
How Maksym Maksymov, an Anti-Ukrainian Blogger from Odesa, Built a Car Fleet Worth $1.2 Million
“Just an absolutely f**ing brazen guy from Odesa” — that’s how 41-year-old Maksym Maksymov’s Instagram bio describes him. And in a way, it’s hard to argue. His page is filled with photos of luxury sports cars, the latest models, and other high-end vehicles he has been buying throughout the war years. Judging by the Instagram of his wife, Iryna Maksymova (Kandibolotska), the family also spends their money on frequent trips to tropical countries, expensive jewelry, and designer clothing.
In the latest photos on Iryna Maksymova’s page alone, we counted jewelry worth $116,195 — and that’s not even including branded clothing and accessories.
The Maksymov family lives in a large house on the Odesa seafront, and along with them resides an exotic wild animal — a puma, which costs at least $5,000.
Maksym Maksymov runs a Telegram channel where he reviews his cars, showcasing their speed and engine power. He posts videos of reckless driving through the city at 330–350 km/h, speeds so high that even traffic cameras fail to register them. This is his way of showing off and promoting dangerous violations of traffic laws. Ironically, according to publicly available data, Maksymov was once an activist in the “Road Control of Ukraine” organization in Odesa back in 2016.
Maksymov gained wider notoriety in the summer of 2024 when he found himself at the center of a scandal involving Ukrainian activist Yuliia Karabadzhak, an Odesa native. During a public event in Odesa, Karabadzhak confronted a speaker for delivering a speech in russian. The incident made national headlines as she became the target of harassment from several russian-speaking bloggers — including Anatolii Sharii and Maksym Maksymov.
At the time, Maksymov’s Instagram account, then named maxmaksimov1983, publicly shared the activist’s personal phone number, urging his followers to “give her some attention, all together.”
“This disgusting creature tells people how to live, acting like she’s someone important. You’re just a filthy disgrace — who do you think you are to teach anyone?” Maksymov ranted in a video posted on his page.
Over the last two years, in the midst of russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, Maksymov has purchased three high-end luxury cars. As previously mentioned, one of them is a 2020 Lamborghini Urus SUV with the license plate OO7777AK, which costs at least $420,000 and was bought in August 2023.
He also owns a 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS, registered to Maksym Valeriiovych Maksymov as of May 30, 2024. A new car of this model costs at least $584,000 on the market.
Another brand-new sports car, a 2024 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT with the license plate AA7777YK, joined the garage of the anti-Ukrainian blogger Maksymov in October 2024. The base model of this car costs at least $230,000 on the official website.
“And here’s my new Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. The first one in Ukraine,” Maksymov wrote under a photo on his Instagram.
According to BlackBox OSINT, Maksym Maksymov’s income in recent years was as follows:
- 2021 – $15,872
- 2022 – $54,906
- 2023 – $230,115
- 2024 – $158,410
In total, over the past four years, Maksymov officially earned $460,000—three times less than what he spent on his new cars, which are worth $1.2 million in total.
This raises a key question — how exactly does Maksym Maksymov make his money, allowing him to live such a lavish and carefree lifestyle during wartime while collecting ultra-expensive cars?
According to Ukrainian business registries, six months after the start of russia’s full-scale invasion, on August 10, 2022, Maksym Maksymov and Swiss citizen Sturen Karl Olof Richard founded an Odesa-based company, Viking Alliance LLC, officially listed under “Water Transport Support Services.” In March 2023, they, along with two more co-founders, Pavlo Demchenko and Roman Dubanych, registered another company — Viking Alliance Ukraine LLC. However, financial reports of these companies reveal something unusual. Viking Alliance Ukraine LLC made zero revenue in 2023, while Viking Alliance LLC reported:
- 2022 – losses of nearly 500,000 UAH
- 2023 – a profit of just 800,000 UAH despite a total revenue of 283 million UAH
Where does Maksymov’s actual income come from?
This pattern is typical for businesses that minimize their tax obligations by artificially inflating expenses through sham transactions. And when purchasing multiple luxury cars, there is no requirement to report the source of funds.
In addition to these two companies, Maksym Maksymov and his mother, Tetiana Maksymova, are co-founders of Motor-Avto Ukraine LLC, registered in March 2018. The company’s director is Iryna Maksymova, Maksymov’s wife. However, according to Opendatabot, this company is also operating at a loss — in 2023, its net profit was negative -418,500 UAH.
Another one of Maksym Maksymov’s businesses, Motor-Avto Trucks LLC, specializes in freight transportation. Its financial situation looks no better — every year, the company records continuous losses ranging from 2 to 3.5 million UAH.
Despite operating at a loss, the company somehow managed to purchase a 2021 Porsche Panamera, which costs anywhere from $80,000 to $180,000 on average.
The only company among Maksym Maksymov’s businesses that appears to generate profit is Motor-Avto Ukraine LLC, which, according to the registry, is officially engaged in transport-related support services. In reality, however, since February 2019, this firm has been importing and selling cars from the U.S..
“Motor-Avto Ukraine offers a unique service for delivering, dismantling, forwarding, and customs clearance of vehicles from the U.S.,” reads the company’s Instagram bio.
Although the company’s Instagram hasn’t posted any new vehicle listings since March 23, 2021, financial records show that in 2023, the business reported a profit of nearly 15.7 million UAH. Meanwhile, in 2022, like most of Maksymov’s other firms, it ended the year with losses of 10.8 million UAH, despite generating 34.7 million UAH in revenue.
However, in 2024, this company, like Motor-Avto Trucks LLC, also purchased two vehicles:
- A brand-new 2024 Porsche Panamera, with an average market price starting at $200,000
- A 2021 Mercedes-Benz V 300D, which costs at least $73,500
This means that a company that reported a $260,000 loss in 2022 and a $400,000 profit in 2023 spent nearly $300,000 on luxury cars in the third year of the war — essentially draining almost all of its earnings.
So, an Odesa resident with openly anti-Ukrainian views makes money by importing used cars into Ukraine. While most of his companies officially report losses to the state, he continues to buy one luxury car after another, each worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
This means that he is either hiding his real income from the state to avoid paying taxes — funds that are critical for Ukraine’s defense today — or he has significant illegal earnings that allow him to live a lavish lifestyle during wartime.
Where Did 31-Year-Old Ihor Kucher Get the Money for a Bentley?
Another lucky owner of seven cars at once is 31-year-old Ihor Oleksandrovych Kucher, a resident of Kryvyi Rih. According to YouControl, his collection includes a 2016 Bentley Bentayga with the license plate AE4444PA, which he purchased on August 28, 2024. The market price for this model starts at $150,000.
Earlier, on July 9, 2024, Kucher bought a 2019 Chevrolet Corvette for at least $57,000. However, just a month and a half later, he sold it — to buy a Bentley that was three times more expensive.
According to the Real Estate Rights Registry, aside from his cars, Ihor Kucher owns:
- A house in Kryvyi Rih on Parovozna Street 83, along with the land plot beneath it
- An apartment in Kryvyi Rih on Heroiv-Pidpilnykiv Avenue 40
- Another land plot
His mother, Tetiana Kucher, owns an apartment in Kyiv and another house in Kryvyi Rih on Volosievycha Street 35. Meanwhile, Ihor’s brother, Illia Kucher, owns a house in central Odesa on Fontanska Road 16-A, as well as two apartments in Kyiv.
Yet, according to BlackBox OSINT, Ihor Kucher officially earns next to nothing:
- 2021 – $6,342
- 2022 – $425
- 2023 – $41,827
- 2024 – $610
So where did the money for a Bentley Bentayga worth at least $150,000 come from?
Official Ukrainian registries show that as of December 20, 2023, Ihor Kucher became the ultimate beneficiary of Tisa, a small private company involved in the construction of residential and commercial buildings. However, “involved” might be a strong word — financial records reveal that in 2023, the company ended the year with a loss of 13,300 UAH, despite reporting a modest revenue of 500,000 UAH.
Ihor Kucher is also the founder and ultimate beneficiary of Translogistic Ukraine LLC, a company engaged in freight transportation. The business was established on December 30, 2021, but it doesn’t generate significant profits either.
- 2022 – profit of 168,000 UAH
- 2023 – profit of 385,000 UAH (just over $10,000 USD)
That’s hardly enough to afford a Bentley.
So, the question “Where does the money come from?” remains unanswered.
In the Getcontact app, which shows how a phone number is saved in other people’s contacts, Ihor Kucher’s personal number appears under names such as: “Scammers”, “K I Andr Office”, “Currency Exchange Kryvyi Rih”, “Andrii Forex Exchange”.
These labels suggest that Kucher may be involved in illegal operations, specifically underground financial offices linked to phone scams, which generate illicit profits.
This could explain how 31-year-old Ihor Kucher was able to first purchase a Chevrolet Corvette and later upgrade to a Bentley Bentayga. Because, based on his companies’ financial reports — with business profits of just $10,000 and a personal declared income of $610 in 2024 — there’s no legal way he could afford such luxury cars.
How Mykhailo Maslov Wins Multi-Million Tenders and Buys a BMW and a Porsche
During the war, in 2023, Mykhailo Maslov purchased a 2023 BMW XM, which costs around $250,000.
In addition, he owns five more cars: four Renault vehicles and a 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo, currently selling on the market for $70,000.
38-year-old Mykhailo Maslov is the founder of several companies. Two of them — Senk LLC and VSU LLC (Well Service Ukraine) — are operating at a loss and officially employ only one person each, raising suspicions that they may be shell companies.
At the same time, Maslov is also the founder and beneficiary of two other companies that have recently profited significantly from government tenders.
- Kyiv Energy Company LLC, founded on July 9, 2020, won public procurement contracts for electricity supply from Vinnytsia Transport Company, securing deals worth 434,966,838 UAH in September and October 2024, according to YouControl.
- KenK LLC (Kryvyi Rih Energy Company) received a contract from the same Vinnytsia Transport Company in May 2023 worth 151,642,506 UAH.
Both of these companies paid dividends to Maslov in 2023, significantly exceeding their declared profits.
- Kyiv Energy Company LLC reported a net profit of only 514,600 UAH ($13,700) in 2023, yet paid Maslov 1,075,000 UAH ($28,630) in dividends — more than twice the company’s actual profit.
- According to Article 164.2.20 of Ukraine’s Tax Code, any dividends exceeding a company’s net profit should be taxed at 18% personal income tax + 1.5% military tax. However, according to our data, Maslov declared this income under the general taxation system, paying only 5% in taxes.
Meanwhile, KenK LLC reported a net profit of 4,919,200 UAH ($131,000) in 2023, but paid Maslov 6,080,000 UAH ($161,917) in dividends — nearly 1.5 times more than its profit.
Through these tax loopholes, Maslov managed to significantly reduce his tax payments to the state — savings that likely allowed him to afford a $250,000 BMW.
How Nataliia Hnatiuk, Who Receives State Social Benefits, Bought a $225,000 Mercedes
In June 2024, 27-year-old Nataliia Hnatiuk purchased a 2022 Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG, with an average market value of $225,000. Even her license plate number — KA2408MT — was carefully chosen to match her birthdate, which likely cost her extra.
Nataliia’s Instagram page showcases a life of luxury and carefree happiness: frequent trips abroad (UAE, Maldives, France), a luxury car, expensive watches, fine dining, lavish flower bouquets, and branded items. For example, in one photo, she’s wearing a Rolex watch with a base model valued at around $20,000.
According to the Real Estate Rights Registry, Nataliia Hnatiuk owns two apartments measuring 78 square meters and 77.6 square meters each in the luxury Atlant residential complex in Dnipro, with an estimated value of $117,000 per unit. She also owns a 17.6-square-meter parking space in the same complex, which likely cost at least $20,000. All these purchases were made in 2020, despite her official income that year totaling just $823 in state unemployment benefits.
Her income doesn’t come close to matching her spending or her luxurious lifestyle. Official records show:
- 2021 – $27,924
- 2022 – $282
- 2023 – $3,955
- 2024 – $157,409, after opening a sole proprietorship in November 2023 focused on specialized design services
Even with this recent income boost, she couldn’t afford a luxury car. The logical conclusion is that the vehicle was likely purchased using undeclared income, from which no taxes were paid.
So, where does the money come from? Could it be that her 31-year-old husband, Artem Hnatiuk, is generously supporting her? However, official records show that he doesn’t own a business or hold any corporate shares that could generate the kind of income needed to cover such extravagant expenses. Meanwhile, during the war years, Artem Hnatiuk has been buying motorcycles — he currently owns three, with a combined value of around $29,000.
The wealth of Nataliia Hnatiuk’s family remains a mystery that law enforcement should investigate. After all, it’s worth finding out how young people, with almost no official income, manage to purchase apartments in luxury complexes, expensive watches, motorcycles, and cars worth $225,000 during wartime.
How 34-Year-Old Ruslan Yereshchenko Illegally Trades Cars
A total of 14 cars are registered to 34-year-old Ruslan Yereshchenko, who, according to Ukrainian registries, doesn’t own any businesses or even have a sole proprietorship.
Among these cars is a 2019 Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG, purchased on September 11, 2024, with a market value starting at $177,500. This vehicle is registered under the license plate KI1000VR. Interestingly, the same license plate number was also found on a Rolls-Royce Ghost valued at $400,000.
Photos of Ruslan Yereshchenko can be found online, showing him posing with expensive cars featuring exclusive license plates.
It is known that since at least 2022, Ruslan Yereshchenko has been involved in selling luxury cars — in other words, acting as a reseller. His personal phone number is even listed on an Albanian car sales website.
However, it is clear that he operates illegally, as there is no record of any officially registered business under his name that would pay taxes. This likely allowed him to purchase an expensive Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG — worth nearly 7.3 million UAH — in the third year of the war.
How Odesa Resident Anzhela Voziian Collects Ferrari, Porsche Cayenne, and Rolls-Royce Worth Nearly $1.5 Million
The most intriguing figure in this story is 55-year-old Anzhela Voziian from Odesa, who owns a sole proprietorship officially registered under the activity “Rental and operation of own or leased real estate.”
According to registry data, Anzhela appears to be a passionate enthusiast of luxury cars, with vehicles from brands such as Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, and Porsche registered in her name.
In the third year of the war, Anzhela Voziian purchased two brand-new premium foreign cars.
- A 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre with the license plate NN7777QO, with a starting price of $600,000
- A 2024 Porsche Cayenne, starting at $155,000
Both cars were purchased by Anzhela Voziian in the fall of 2024.
Before that, Anzhela Voziian also acquired a red 2022 Ferrari SF90 Stradale, valued at an astonishing $650,000. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs registry, this car also features a “stylish” license plate — HH7777OC.
Three ultra-expensive cars worth $1.4 million owned by an ordinary individual entrepreneur — an interesting situation, isn’t it? Where does someone with no business shares or corporate interests get that kind of money?
According to registry data, Anzhela Voziian doesn’t have a husband. She does, however, have a 37-year-old son, Oleksii Voziian. Yet, he isn’t connected to any large, profitable companies either. As of October 3, 2024, he is simply registered as a sole proprietor with a primary business activity of retail trade of fruits and vegetables in specialized stores. It seems highly likely that Anzhela Voziian has significant undeclared income of unknown origin from which she doesn’t pay taxes, instead investing in some of the most expensive luxury cars available.
Neither she nor any of the other individuals featured in this investigation are currently under the attention of law enforcement or tax authorities. This allows them to handle large amounts of money without officially disclosing their sources of income — investing in luxury cars that irritate Ukrainians who see them on the streets. It raises a troubling question: How can some struggle to survive under rising taxes and wartime inflation, while others freely move millions of dollars?
The analysis of these cases leads to a clear conclusion: most Ukrainians buying the most expensive foreign luxury cars have no official explanation for the origin of their funds. Many of them are clearly avoiding taxes, allowing them to accumulate the wealth necessary to afford such extravagant vehicles.
These luxury cars seen on our streets during wartime are, in reality, a reflection of corruption in its various forms. The state could stop this process and redirect these funds into the defense budget. Yet, for some reason, it doesn’t.