Thousands of humanitarian cars destined for the army have actually ended up on the used car market. Pseudo-charitable organizations abusing the duty exemption sell SUVs and minibuses destined for the front at market prices. During the investigation, more than 4500 advertisements were found that can be directly linked to vehicles imported as aid.
An extensive network of abuses has been uncovered in which vehicles that have been imported into the country duty-free on paper as humanitarian aid intended for the Ukrainian army are being sold on a mass basis for profit. Instead of the front, they land on advertising portals. The data of nearly 100 thousand humanitarian vehicles imported between December 2023 and May 2025 were compared by the largest Ukrainian used car portal, AUTO. RIA database. The result is astonishing: at least 4,545 vehicles were found, which were advertised for sale, although they were supposed to be there to help soldiers serving at the front.
The essence of the method is that certain charitable foundations – often with fake military certificates – import cars duty-free, and then, instead of handing them over to the armed forces, they sell them at market prices. The cases that have been uncovered may be just the tip of the iceberg, as the research relied on public data from only one advertising site. There is a mix of pick-ups and luxury cars. A significant number of the vehicles affected by the abuses are types that are urgently needed on the front line: Toyota Hilux, Mitsubishi L200, Ford Transit and Volkswagen Crafter. At the same time, “humanitarian” shipments also included a number of luxury passenger cars, presumably imported for private use or resale. The report also cites specific examples, including the mayor of Irpin, who has been linked to the smuggling of premium cars under humanitarian disguise. Journalists say that most of the frauds are carried out by fake NGOs, but local officials and military administrations have also been involved.
The most common tricks are:
• False claims: Organizations issue applications for vehicles in the name of real or fictitious military units.• Duty-free import: At the border, the car is declared as humanitarian aid, thus being exempt from significant import duties.• Commercial sales: After importation, the vehicle is not taken into stock, but is sold to private individuals for cash.
Translated and edited by Hans Seckler