Undeclared Millions and European Restaurants: Mykhailo Shmushkovych “Forgot” About His Wealth
Ukrainian politics has once again found itself at the center of a high-profile corruption scandal.
Journalists have published the findings of an investigation into the activities of Mykhailo Shmushkovych, head of the European Solidarity faction in the Odesa Regional Council. According to the investigation, the politician allegedly “forgot” to include millions of hryvnias worth of assets and cash in his financial disclosures, while also showing an interest in schemes involving employee deferments from military mobilization through private security companies.
Real Estate and UAH 8 Million in Cash: What Did the Deputy “Forget” to Declare?
According to an investigation by Ukrainski Novyny, an analysis of seven financial declarations submitted by Mykhailo Shmushkovych between 2019 and 2025 revealed numerous discrepancies.
Journalists raised particular questions about assets that were apparently left out of his official disclosures:
- Apartments in Odesa: The politician allegedly failed to declare two apartments belonging to his wife, Kateryna, with a combined area of 224.9 square meters. The properties measure 172.2 and 52.7 square meters, respectively.
- Cash savings: The couple also allegedly failed to disclose $180,000 in cash, equivalent to more than UAH 8 million at the current exchange rate.
The investigation's authors note that as the wealth of the representative of Petro Poroshenko's party grew, his “memory” appeared to become increasingly unreliable when it came to completing mandatory financial declarations.
Employee Deferment Schemes and Links to the Security Business
The investigation also focused on issues surrounding military mobilization and possible lobbying for commercial interests.
When the Odesa Regional Council considered an appeal to the government seeking to expand the eligibility of employees of private security companies for military service deferments, Mykhailo Shmushkovych emerged as one of the initiative's most active supporters.
It turned out that the security industry was not unfamiliar territory for the deputy. His financial declarations for 2019–2021 explicitly listed his ownership of a 50% stake in the company Security Service 37.
This has raised questions among the public about whether the politician's official position is being used to protect his own business interests and facilitate profitable arrangements amid the ongoing war.
Restaurants Abroad and Double Standards
Journalists also examined the Odesa politician's lifestyle.
According to the investigators, during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Shmushkovych was spotted dining at European restaurants in the company of another political associate, Oleh Kaminker.
Notably, these trips took place against the backdrop of the deputy's own public criticism of other officials' foreign travel at taxpayers' expense, including that of Vadym Shkaryvskyi, Deputy Head of the Odesa Regional Council.
Such revelations once again highlight the gap between politicians' public rhetoric and their actual lifestyles.