ElitExpert Investigation continues. The case of a long-standing violation of the rights of a farmer from the city of Kiliya, Odessa region, Oleg Kroitor, who was illegally deprived of his agricultural machinery, is entering a new phase. After publications and official requests from the rating agency ElitExpert to the National Police and the Prosecutor General's Office, the situation has moved a little from a dead point. Probably, thanks to the new leadership of the Odessa Regional Prosecutor's Office.
Formal replies instead of replies
The agency's inquiries to key law enforcement agencies showed that the police are avoiding a direct answer to the main question - why have the rulings of the Izmail City District Court of 06/27/2024 and 10/24/2024 still not been implemented?
• The Prosecutor General's Office effectively stated that "access to public information" cannot be an alternative to procedural order. All materials have been transferred to the Odessa Regional Prosecutor's Office.
• The National Police responded even more formally: the appeal was forwarded to the Main Police Department in the Odessa region, and complaints about inaction are proposed to be appealed only within the framework of the Criminal Procedure Code.
There is not a word in the answers about internal investigations or the responsibility of police officers (Istomina, Mylovanov, Holovchenko) and heads of the district department (Payuk, Marytenko).
There are courts, but there is no justice.
Let us remind you: the courts ordered the farmer to return the equipment back in 2024. However, it was not returned in the fall of 2025. This means not just a delay in the process, but a systematic disregard for the judiciary by the police and prosecutor's office.
The farmer's lawyers directly speak about the signs of crimes under Article 382 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (failure to execute a court decision) and Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (abuse of power). However, law enforcement officers stubbornly avoid answering the question of whether new proceedings have been opened on these facts and when the equipment will be returned to its rightful owners.
A few facts
On September 11, 2025, the farmer himself filed a complaint with the new head of the Odessa Regional Prosecutor's Office. In the document, he accuses the previous leadership of the regional prosecutor's office of inaction and covering up for subordinate prosecutors, whose responses only supported the inaction of the Izmail police.
Although the documents confirm that the Izmail law enforcement officers had complete information about the exact location of the confiscated equipment from the very beginning, they could have put an end to this long-standing dispute long ago by simply performing their official duties efficiently.
After the court ruling, Romanenko suddenly abandoned his initial claims, and the criminal proceedings were closed.
At the same time, no one ever returned the equipment to the injured farmer.
In his statement, Kroitor also draws attention to the actions of the former head of the regional prosecutor's office, Oleg Bondar, who sent him identical letters five times (!) (№31/1-2ВИХ-25 dated 06.08.2025, №31/1-1402ВИХ-25 dated 11.08.2025, etc.), claiming that his equipment was allegedly "transferred to the owner" Romanenko M.V. - while the court directly established that the owner is Kroitor himself, and the case dated 21.08.5018 No. 12018160310000450 was created artificially.
In the statement, the farmer emphasizes that:
• the case includes a ruling of the Izmail City District Court dated June 27, 2024, which obliges him to return the T-150 tractor (white and blue, license plate number 29512 VN, with specific identification marks) and other equipment;
• the decision has not yet been implemented, and the equipment itself has actually disappeared from police control;
• in January 2025, criminal proceedings No. 12025162150000094 were opened under Article 388 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal actions against property subject to arrest), and in February 2025, proceedings No. 62025150020000661 under Article 382 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (failure to execute a court decision), which was initiated by the State Bureau of Investigation.
Despite these facts, Bondar continues to write that “the property has been returned.” This, according to the farmer, indicates either gross incompetence or a deliberate cover-up by his colleagues who were heading the Izmail Prosecutor’s Office at the time (Sara and Vityuk).
Separately, the farmer raises the issue of initiating proceedings under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - misappropriation of property or taking possession of it through abuse of official position on a particularly large scale or by an organized group. After all, this is not only a violation of procedural norms, but also a purposeful seizure of equipment and its transfer to an "interested person" - citizen Romanenko, who was the applicant in this case and performed the "dirty" work, and already in January 2020 he refused the charges and withdrew the application.
Chronology of criminal proceedings (2018–2025)
• 2018 — the first criminal proceedings related to the seizure of agricultural machinery.
• 2022 — new episodes of investigations into illegal actions with property.
• 2024 — decisions of the Izmail City District Court (June 27.06 and October 24.10) on the return of equipment to the farmer.
• January 2025 — proceedings No. 12025162150000094 (Article 388 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, illegal actions against seized property).
• February 2025 — proceedings No. 62025150020000661 (Article 382 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, failure to comply with a court decision) from the State Bureau of Investigation.
• September 2025 — Kroitor's application to the police and prosecutor's office about a cover-up and a demand to initiate proceedings under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (misappropriation of property in especially large amounts).
This chronology clearly demonstrates: the case has been dragging on for eight years, but the court rulings have remained on paper for a year.
An unexpected turn in court
In our previous material and journalistic inquiries, we recorded that key witnesses in this long-suffering case ignored court summonses, not appearing in court. After the interest shown by the media and numerous complaints from the farmer, it became quite logical for the appearance at the court hearing of the former police chief Mylovanov, who at the time of the seizure of the equipment headed the agency and was directly responsible for the course of the investigation. Previously, he had been summoned no less than five times to provide explanations, but he ignored the summonses, and the court even considered the issue of his forced presence.
This time, Mylovanov did appear and gave his explanations. His testimony could play a key role in understanding why court decisions have remained unenforced for several years, as well as shed light on the actions and inactions of his subordinates.
Public Outcry
ElitExpert sent an additional request directly to the head of the National Police, Ivan Vyhovsky, regarding the responsibility of officials. The answer will be a test of the transparency and ability of the police to act in accordance with the law, and not "cover" their own.
Society is waiting for concrete actions, because it is not just about returning equipment to one farmer, but about a precedent: does the Ukrainian court have real power, or will its decisions continue to "remain on paper."
