Odesa officials and deputies: where the millions go

Odesa Oblast has once again come under the spotlight due to the financial transactions of its officials, deputies, and heads of state institutions. 

During the war, when the country's economic situation is unstable, many of them transfer significant sums abroad, using foreign banks to store their capital.

Top fund outflows: who is leading?

1. Oleg Kutateladze — Odesa Oblast Council deputy
   The largest holder of foreign assets among Odesa declarants. His foreign accounts hold 61.5 million UAH. The bulk of this amount is a deposit in the Polish bank Santander — 1.3 million euros. Notably, before the start of the war, Kutateladze did not hold funds abroad.

2. Lia Morokhovska — wife of the head of the 'Servant of the People' faction in the city council
   Over two years, her accounts in Montenegro grew from 5,000 dollars to a substantial 300,000 euros. Her husband, who heads the 'Vostok' bank, has a direct connection to the banking sector, which adds interest to the sources of such savings.

3. Stanislav Schneider — Director of the Institute of Dentistry
   Previously, he kept 350,000 dollars in cash, but transferred these funds to a Greek bank. This raises questions about the origin of the capital and the motives for moving it out of Ukraine.

4. Alexey Myaskovsky — Director of the Odesa Seaport
   He placed 320,000 dollars in Polish banks. In addition, his enterprise purchased a car worth 2.7 million UAH.

5. Lyubov Lavrinenko — former judge
   Her case is particularly noteworthy. Lavrinenko transferred 14.6 million UAH to a Canadian bank and subsequently emigrated to Canada.

General trends and scale

According to journalistic investigations, during the war period, Ukrainian declarants have moved at least 7 billion UAH abroad. Odesa Oblast leads among regions in terms of such transfers.

Analysis of causes

Experts note several factors influencing this activity:

• Political and economic instability. The war forces officials to seek safer places to store their funds.
• Lack of effective control. Despite existing declaration obligations, monitoring mechanisms for financial transactions leave many loopholes.
• Emigration prospects. Many declarants, such as former judge Lavrinenko, not only transfer money abroad but also leave the country, planning to settle overseas.

Conclusions

The transfer of large sums to foreign banks raises questions not only for journalists but also for society. In wartime conditions, such actions give rise to doubts about the patriotism and integrity of civil servants. Meanwhile, Odesa, as always, confirms its reputation as a city with a particular approach to financial transactions.