Former head of Ukrainian police in Berdyansk Vitalii Brovko left the service in law enforcement bodies after the beginning of Russian full scale invasion and occupation of the city. In May 2023, he has been appointed as the director of state owned enterprise «Horses of Ukraine». His public asset declaration revealed a number of luxury cars acquired by his wife during two years of war with Russia.
The Center of Journalist Investigations tried to find out how family of ex-policeman got 3,5 million UAH for acquisition of five passenger and cargo cars.
On February 27, 2022, Russian troops seized Ukrainian police office in Berdyansk. The office has been empty as Ukrainian policemen were ordered to leave the city on the 24th of February. Their majority went to Zaporizhzhia with their families. It was supposed that they would join the Ukrainian Army.
Local social media accounts reported that Vitalii Brovko did not care about evacuation of the personnel of Berdyansk police. He reached Zaporizhzhia and quickly retired.
In March 2022, Russian occupants published video records of search in the house of Vitalii Brovko in occupied Berdyansk. Their video report said that the family of chief policeman of Berdyansk lived in an apartment with two floors packed with valuables worth 10 million UAH and documents for luxury real estate.
Public asset declaration of ex-head of Berdyansk police does not indicate any luxury real estate. Brovko jointly with his wife and son owns an apartment in Berdyansk. His wife Maryna Brovko owns small office in the city and holds 40% of an apartment in Borova city in Kharkiv region. Then, the family owns 4 land plots with total area of 26 hectares in Kharkiv region and another 3 hectares in Polohy raion in Zaporizhzhia region.
The most interesting part of Brivko’s declaration is about movable poperty, i.e. transport. The family owns a herd of «iron horses». Its number significantly increased during the Russian invasion into Ukraine. Maryna Brovko is the owner of the lion’s share of cars.
Collage: investigator.org.ua
When Vitalii Brovko left Berdyansk police, the car fleet of his family included 4 cargo cars. Maryna Brovko acquired them for suspiciously low price – 185 thousand UAH, i.e. less than 5 thousand USD. When Vitalii Brovko has been appointed to state owned enterprise «Horses of Ukraine», this fleet expanded.
In 2022, Maryna Brovko bought another two cargo cars – MAN and MERSEDES.
She also bought Lexus NX300 (2017) and MERSEDES-BENZ GLE 400 (2018). Vitalii Brovko also uses the latter car.
In 2023, the family bought TESLA MODEL Y (2020) and tanker truck EVERLAST.
Collage: investigator.org.ua
All cars are de jure owned by Maryna Brovko. Let’s compare her income and expenses indicated in public asset declarations of her husband during previous three years.
In May 2018, Maryna Brovko received the certificate of lawyer. However, the certificate was suspended in half a year. In accordance with analytical system YouControl, Maryna Brovko registered two times as physical entrepreneur in Berdyansk and Kyiv. Both legal entities were later suspended.
Thus, it seems that Maryna Brovko received her main income from leasing her property and selling real estate.
In 2021, total income of Mrs Brovko reached 189 133 UAH, in 2022 – only 742 UAH whereas in 2023 she earned 1,04 million UAH.
In 2023, Maryna Brovko borrowed 1,795107 million UAH from limited liability company «Berda-Agoro». The time and amount coincide with circumstances of her acquisition of tanker truck EVERLAST.
The difference between Maryna Brovko’s revenues and expenses reaches 993 123 UAH, if we compare all her earned and borrowed money.
Collage: investigator.org.ua
Thus, almost one million UAH of her revenues does not have clear origin. What is striking is that Mrs Brovko succeeded in acquiring new car fleet and even increasing her wealth during first years of Russian full scale invasion!
Maryna Brovko entered 2022 with 740 thousand UAH. She completed her 2023 with 1,1 million UAH in cash and 400 Euro on bank account.
How did the wife of ex-policeman and director of state owned enterprise receive those revenues?
The Center of Journalist Investigations tried to put this question to Vitalii Brovko. We unsuccessfully called his work and personal phones. We sent two public information requests. One was sent to an official e-mail of «Horses of Ukraine» indicated on its Facebook account. Another one was delivered to the physical office of the enterprise.
The office of «Horses of Ukraine» is located in the center of Kyiv, near Maidan. Its address is Borys Grinchenko street, 1. An employee of the enterprise registered our written public information request about sources of income of Maryna Brovko.
It was surprising that all ten subordinates of Vitalii Brovko with right of signature were on field trip on the day when we submitted our request.
Senior managers of state owned enterprise «Horses of Ukraine» include another former resident of Berdyansk. His name is Suslov Oleksandr Yuriyovych. He is former deputy head of Berdyansk police. He is current deputy of Vitalii Brovko in «Horses of Ukraine».
Collage: investigator.org.ua
It is interesting that when Brovko was appointed to manage «Horses of Ukraine» in May 2023, he replaced its previous head Yurii Mykolayovych Mukha. Mukha has worked in Berdyansk from December 2020 to October 2021. He has been Deputy Mayor of the city and supervised municipal economic development.
It should be noted that since 2016 state owned enterprise «Horses of Ukraine» has been regular subject of journalist anticorruption investigations. Its main asset is over 40 thousand hectares. In 2015, bankrupt procedures were launched about the enterprise. But in 2020, the State Security Service of Ukraine announced these procedures to be fictitious. It has been reported that initiators of bankrupt procedures were related to Mykola Azarov, ex-Prime-Minister of Ukraine who fled to Russia after the Revolution of Dignity.
