Vitaliy Bunechko, head of the Zhytomyr Regional Military Administration in Ukraine, is at the center of a dispute after signing off on the seizure of a local company's entire vehicle fleet for the armed forces, former lawmaker Ihor Mosiychuk reported, citing media.
According to company lawyer Yevhen Hrushovets, more than 50 vehicles have already been handed to Ukraine's Third Army Corps, with seizure of over 80 more planned, carried out under the guise of military-transport duties and property mobilization. Hrushovets said no official seizure document was given to the company, calling it illegal obstruction and a raider takeover disguised as military aid.
Specialized equipment undervalued
Around a dozen of the seized vehicles are specialized machines used to place explosives in rock during mineral extraction, worth about $2 million each, with some estimates reaching 800,000 euros. Documentation valued the seized equipment at just 250,000 hryvnias, and there are plans to strip the vehicles' superstructures, turning them into ordinary tractors.
Official responds with insults
Bunechko joined the discussion under Hrushovets's Facebook post, calling him an immature quasi-lawyer and mocking a misspelling of his surname instead of offering official explanations. Hrushovets said he would resolve the matter only through legal channels and hoped to discuss the official's conduct during questioning by law enforcement. Defense representatives said the precedent threatens any regional business, since similar seizures could happen without documentation.
