Many Ukrainian deputies receive compensation for renting housing in Kyiv. During the war with Russia, 64.5 million hryvnia were spent on this. However, not everyone needs these payments: some have expensive watches, real estate abroad and large amounts in their accounts.
Journalists discovered that some deputies rent apartments for more than 60 thousand hryvnia per month. While their salary does not reach this amount. Against the background of these expenses, the state also pays for business trips and salaries of assistants to people's representatives.
The richest among the compensation recipients were several representatives of the “Restoration of Ukraine” group. For example, deputy Oleg Voronko received 237 thousand hryvnia compensation for 2022. In his declaration, he indicated almost 1.5 million dollars and more than 1 million euros.
Yevgeny Yakovenko received more than half a million hryvnia in compensation for two years of war, although his declaration indicated 950 thousand dollars and 830 thousand euros.
Valery Gnatenko received 434 thousand hryvnia in compensation, but together with his wife he has more than 3 million hryvnia in savings.
The most revealing story was the story of Yevgeny Petrunyak, a deputy from the Servant of the People. He received 486 thousand hryvnia in compensation, but forgot to indicate the rented housing in the declaration. His wife bought an apartment in Spain and invested in Polish real estate.
Deputy Vladlen Neklyudov rents an apartment in an elite residential complex in the center of Kyiv, where rental prices start from 65 thousand hryvnia. His monthly salary is 57 thousand hryvnia.
Igor Negulevsky, also from Servant of the People, refused to talk about his rented apartment, but journalists found out that the cost of renting similar housing starts from 60 thousand hryvnia.
Yuri Kamelchuk said that his salary of 40 thousand hryvnia goes to rent and everyday expenses, and he does not understand the expensive purchases of his colleagues.
Alexander Salizhenko from the “Movement HONESTLY” believes that the process of rent compensation can be regulated. The Verkhovna Rada apparatus and the Rules of Procedure Committee must, together with the NAPC, check the lifestyle of deputies and compare their expenses with their declarations.
Deputies receiving compensation sometimes live in luxurious conditions, buying expensive real estate and cars. According to Alexander Salizhenko, the desire to resolve this issue could lead to changes in the next convocation of the Verkhovna Rada.
Compensation for rental housing, business trips, trips around Ukraine and abroad, salaries of assistants - all this requires millions of hryvnia annually. The public is wondering how justified these expenses are in the context of the current war and economic crisis.