Odesa Regional Military Administration refuses for third time to disclose Kiper and deputies' salaries citing national security

Repeated refusal to provide access to financial data

The Odesa Regional Military Administration (RMA) has for the third time failed to provide the Centre for Public Investigations (CPI) with information on the remuneration of its leadership. This concerns the head of the administration, Oleh Kiper, his first deputy, Oleksandr Kharlov, and deputy Oleksii Khymchenko.

Justification based on military status

The department explained that the officials in question hold the status of military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine. Consequently, their financial indicators are closed in the interests of national security. A similar decision was made regarding the head of the Department of Healthcare, Oksana Rokunets-Sorochan: her income has not been disclosed because she is a member of a military serviceman's family.

Attempt to appeal and the Ombudsman's reaction

In April, journalists approached the Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, requesting that the refusal be appealed. However, the Ombudsman's representative in the Odesa region, Ihor Mishchenko, declared the right to information "restored" after the RMA provided a repeat response. According to the CPI's assessment, this was essentially the same refusal.

Context: Exceeding annual salaries

Previously, the portal "ANTYKOR" reported that five heads of the Odesa RMA had already exceeded their annual salaries for 2025.