Position: State Inspector of the Customs Clearance Department of the "Tysa" Customs Post of Zakarpathian Customs.
Sphere of corruption: customs.
Region of corruption: Zakarpathia.
Qualification: None at this time.
Status: at large.
Assets: In his 2024 tax return, Pupena indicated that he owned a residential building and a land plot in Uzhhorod. However, he also declared residence and registration in an apartment in Uzhhorod.
In addition, Pupena uses a Skoda Kodiaq car (worth almost 2 million hryvnias and purchased in 2024), which belongs to his wife, Victoria.
Pupena's income for the same year was 406,941 hryvnias, and his wife's was 1,959,271 hryvnias.
The customs officer declared $12,000 in cash, and his wife declared 700,000 hryvnias, $67,000, and 90,000 euros.
Scandals: in early December 2025, the NACP sent materials to the Prosecutor General's Office about the illegal enrichment of the state inspector of the customs clearance department of the "Tysa" customs post of the Zakarpathian Customs, Vasyl Pupena, in the amount of more than UAH 23 million.
As noted in the NACP report, signs of illicit enrichment of over UAH 23 million were found in the customs officer. This concerns a land plot with an area of 1.6 thousand m2 with a residential building with an area of almost 330 m2 in Uzhhorod, which belong to the official's mother, but are used by her son and his family, as well as a 2024 Skoda Kodiaq car, which was purchased by the customs officer's wife.
The land plot was purchased by the official's mother in the fall of 2022 for UAH 40.1 thousand. However, according to the results of the NACP's examinations, its market value at the date of purchase reached almost UAH 1.8 million. In the summer of 2023, a residential building was put into operation on this land plot, into which the official, his wife and children moved. At that time, its value exceeded UAH 19 million.
From the explanations of the official's parents, it became known that they purchased and built the real estate partly with their own savings, partly with borrowed funds from acquaintances, and the construction work was allegedly carried out "by their own efforts."
The customs officer's wife purchased a Skoda Kodiaq car, manufactured in 2024, at the end of 2024 for over UAH 1.9 million. According to her, the car was purchased with funds from the sale of previous cars.
An analysis of the income and expenses of the official, his family and close relatives showed that their official funds were insufficient to cover all expenses. And the loans that the customs inspector's relatives refer to are not financially confirmed and contain signs of fictitiousness.
Earlier, journalist Taras Seredych reported in a story that Vasyl Pupena had applied for disability at the beginning of the full-scale invasion to avoid mobilization. The disability was later canceled, but he is suing the Ministry of Health to restore his pension payments. In addition, Pupena has so-called "cover license plates", which are issued to law enforcement officers or high-ranking state officials.
Associated persons: no potential accomplices are known from open sources.
Persons who should respond: Representatives of the Prosecutor General's Office, NABU, and SAPO should pay attention to Pupena's criminal activities.
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui-OjzSYqP4
https://public.nazk.gov.ua/documents/8e960a1b-aa16-451d-a777-3ff45289e6a2