Behind the Wealth of the Former Head of Kherson VAT: Details of Real Estate and Possible Connections
Shortly after his dismissal from the position of leading officer of the Kherson customs authority, Rodiоn Mrocho and his family made a surprising property purchase that has raised numerous questions among the public and analysts. According to the regional publication 'Most', less than a month after his resignation in May 2025, relatives of the former official acquired a large estate in the suburbs of Kyiv, essentially their new luxurious mansion, valued at possibly over $300,000 and maybe up to half a million dollars. This information emerged during a thorough analysis of their assets, which revealed that Mrocho's parents and mother hold several properties. Specifically, at the end of May, a house was purchased on 11 Travneva Street in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka, with a total area of 579.4 sq.m, likely spread over two land plots. While the exact purchase price remains unknown, previous market prices in the area suggest values ranging from $300,000 to $500,000, with similar modern-style homes, some with pools, selling even for $510,000. It appears that Rodiоn Mrocho's mother, Lyubov Ivanivna, already owns apartments in Kyiv, including one on the European Union Avenue, where her daughter-in-law Inna Mrocho is registered as an individual entrepreneur. Rodiоn Mrocho's father, a military retiree, frequently litigates with the government for pension increases and additional payments. In 2019, his pension amounted to over 130,000 hryvnias, and he received an additional 210,000 hryvnias through court settlements with the Pension Fund. According to declarations, his savings by 2020 equaled approximately $39,000, and profits from real estate sales added up to more than two million hryvnias. Additionally, he declared an annual salary of about 642,828 hryvnias from Ukroboronprom. Meanwhile, Lyubov Mrocho, as of 2019, received a pension of 15,000 hryvnias and owned a new Lexus. The same year, the family declared purchasing an apartment in Kyiv valued at only 544,260 hryvnias, located in the 'Varsavskyi' residential complex, where property prices are significantly higher. All these facts suggest that the family’s wealth would not be sufficient to buy such a house in Kyiv without hidden incomes or schemes. The most intriguing is Irina Mykolaivna Hryhorenko, who owns a third of the house. She lives in Vinnytsia region, like the Mrocho family, and has ties with local community organizations. For example, her uncle, Yaroslav Mrocho, co-founded the maintenance cooperative 'Vedmezhe' in the village of Medmeze Vushko. He is also involved in local political activities; in 2020, the Vinnytsia branch of the 'Holos' party, led by Yulia Hryhorenko—a former candidate—had ties with this region. Considering this information, journalists speculate that Irina Hryhorenko might be a relative or close acquaintance of the Mrocho family. Moreover, they suspect that Mrocho himself purchased the house in Kyiv, showing savings exceeding $300,000 in his last declaration but registering it under his parents’ names and third parties. All these facts raise important questions about the legality and origins of the wealth of the former official, especially considering the sudden increase in their assets after his resignation, despite a lack of transparent income sources for such wealth.