100,000 hryvnias for transferring cars to the Armed Forces: Why volunteers in Ukraine are now facing fines.

In Ukraine, volunteers are being fined for transferring vehicles that were imported from abroad in 2022-2023 to military units that are not specified in the customs declarations.

Fines for Volunteers: What They Can Be Penalized For

According to MP Nina Yuzhanina, the fines can reach up to 100,000 hryvnias, and there are already corresponding court rulings.

"Among the arguments is a formal violation of customs regulations. However, these vehicles have indeed been transferred to military units, but volunteers cannot amend the customs declarations (the law does not allow it)," said Nina Yuzhanina.

She noted that on December 18, she submitted an amendment to the Customs Code to abolish liability for the transfer of vehicles imported as humanitarian aid, provided that these vehicles are handed over to any military unit, as confirmed by the necessary documentation.

"Fines for volunteering are disgraceful," stated the MP.

"Formally, this constitutes a violation of customs rules, which is why these fines are being imposed. I believe this is excessive formalism, and the state needs to regulate this legally, since in any case, this vehicle has reached a military unit, even if it wasn't the one it was originally intended for," he explained.

The lawyer pointed out that exemptions on the import of vehicles for the Armed Forces of Ukraine were provided to enhance defense capabilities and due to the government's inability to manage this independently.

Transferring Vehicles for the Armed Forces of Ukraine: How Volunteers Should Act

"If the legislation stipulates that vehicles imported tax-free must be delivered specifically to this unit, provided there is a corresponding letter from that unit, then they must be delivered to that unit," he stated.

According to the economist, when the state exempts certain goods from all taxes, it cannot be treated arbitrarily. After all, tax-free goods can be "misused."

"Therefore, when such significant benefits occur, with the elimination of all duties and taxes, one must act in accordance with the current legislation and transfer exclusively to those units from which there are letters or requests for these vehicles," explained Oleg Hetman.

The General Director of the All-Ukrainian Association of Auto Importers and Dealers, Oleg Nazarenko, believes there should be a defined system for the transfer of vehicles by volunteers to the military. He personally participated in organizing the transfer of about nine thousand vehicles from auto importers and dealers to military units. When unknown individuals called him requesting vehicles, he asked them to contact the head of the Logistics Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to inform Nazarenko about the need for vehicles.

"And then you take that vehicle, bring it in, and hand it over to someone else. Do you think this is a violation of the law? Is this ethical? The brigade commander is counting on that vehicle, not asking the head of the Logistics Department for another one, because he knows it will be delivered," he explained.

He is convinced that such actions also harm defense capabilities, as customs collects information on which military units the vehicles were imported for. This information reaches the General Staff, where they believe that a specific unit will receive, conditionally, four vehicles, so it is not considered for replenishment.

Additionally, he has doubts about the person who imported the vehicle allegedly for the Armed Forces but used it for personal purposes for several years. Volunteers are those who bring aid for the Armed Forces, not those who, under the guise of transferring to the army in 2022, imported vehicles without paying taxes, used them for several years, and now decided to return them. There is a suggestion that these individuals are not just transferring vehicles now, but that law enforcement has approached them and found out that the vehicles were imported tax-free supposedly for the army, while they are being used by a civilian.

It is worth noting that in August, there was an attempt to import a Porsche Cayenne crossover under the guise of humanitarian aid into Ukraine. According to the Lviv customs, the recipient listed in the vehicle's documents was a charitable foundation from the Kyiv region.

In February 2024, there was a threat that Polish protesters would not allow trucks with humanitarian aid for Ukraine to pass through the state border.