Iron Motors under fraudster Volodymyr Filippov: a car scam scheme and the secret export of conscripts abroad

Dozens of Ukrainians have reportedly fallen victim to a growing fraud scandal involving the companies Iron Motors and Pivdennyi Shlyakh, both run by Volodymyr Filippov and operating under the Iron Motors brand, which allegedly engaged in deceptive car import practices from the USA.

Clients were promised favorable prices and quick delivery, but often they either did not receive the car or received something completely different from what they had ordered. The scheme was based on deceptive promises and manipulations. However, after the exposure in Ukraine, the Iron Motors brand moved to Moldova. There, the company continued its operations.

There are many questions to Filippov, one of them being: how, during martial law, did he, a young man of conscription age who appears to be completely healthy, manage to leave the country, likely to implement his fraudulent scheme?

In the photo, Filippov does not appear to be unfit for service

This question is emphasized by the fact that his company «Southern Way» appears in a criminal case: organizing the illegal export of conscription-age men.

Collected money in Ukraine and fled: the next stop is the Republic of Moldova

The scandal with Filippov hit the media when, at the end of 2024, defrauded Ukrainians began to massively appeal to the court: his PE «Pivdennyi Shlyakh» took money to bring cars from the USA but did not fulfill their obligations. The sums were different: for instance, one trusting person gave Filippov over 7 thousand dollars. There were dozens of such cases in 2024 alone. In every case, the court sided with the plaintiffs; here are just a few fragments of court cases:

Also, in 2021, Filippov registered another company through which he conducted business – LLC «Iron Motors».

The plaintiff did not appear in court; hence, the cases were ultimately reviewed without him.

And here’s the problem: although the courts indeed ruled to return the money to Filippov’s clients, practically achieving this is dubious since the defendant crossed the border leaving for Moldova.

And how can ordinary Ukrainians now reach him?

In Moldova, on 11.04.2025, Filippov registered Societatea cu Răspundere Limitată «IRON MOTORS» (translated – limited liability company).

Information from Moldovan state registries about the company’s founding by Filippov and its location

The newly formed company began engaging in the same activities its predecessors did in Ukraine: trading cars from the USA. A website was opened, and advertising on social media began.

One can assume the story will repeat, but this time the victims of the alleged fraud will be Moldovans, and then nothing prevents Filippov from leaving with the money in the last moment and repeating his «business» elsewhere.

One thing is Moldova, but how could a presumably healthy young man of conscription age leave Ukraine during martial law? If this issue is examined, it might turn out that Volodymyr Filippov is not only associated with alleged fraud but also with other crimes.

How might Filippov be connected to the illegal transportation of conscription-age individuals abroad?  

In the Svyatoshyno District Court of Kyiv, a criminal case is under consideration, revealing the activities of an organized group engaged in the illegal transfer of individuals across the state border of Ukraine.

The main figure is Alania Lasha, a citizen of Georgia, mentioned alongside other defendants – Khetsuriani Davyd and Koverenko Ihor.

The scheme operated by Alaniya Lasha and Khetsuriani Davyd was well-organized, aiming to assist chiefly conscription-age individuals to illegally leave Ukraine. The core activity involved forging documents allowing evasion of military conscription.

LLC «Medical Center «Medclassic» is mentioned. The peculiarity of this company is that it frequently appears in criminal cases involving forged medical certificates bearing its seal.

Some episodes show how the accused conducted their affairs. According to the investigation, they met a citizen in a café in the Darnytskyi district of Kyiv. They received 1000 US dollars from him for the creation of a fake document declaring unfitness for military service. This document was intended to facilitate the person’s unimpeded crossing of the Ukrainian state border, despite the restrictions imposed due to martial law.

Moreover, in another episode that occurred in the village of Vylok in the Vynohradiv district of Zakarpattia region, the accused organized an illegal exit. They created conditions that helped evade border checks, particularly through the use of forged documents such as military medical commission conclusions.

This brings us to Filippov: «Southern Way» ltd. is mentioned in this criminal case.

It turned out that during a search of a Georgian citizen (presumably Alaniya Lasha) in late 2023, documents and seals with the impression of LLC ALD Group (Alaniya’s company) and «Pivdennyi Shlyakh» ltd. were seized.

The next hearing on this criminal case’s defendants is scheduled for 02.06.2025, and hopefully, when a verdict is issued, all details of this case will become known.

However, even now, a few assumptions can be made.

First, Volodymyr Filippov might have crossed the border using the criminal scheme that Georgian citizens are accused of, and in which his firm «Pivdennyi Shlyakh» ltd. is mentioned. The documents he presented at the checkpoint could have been fake.

Second, Filippov’s business of transporting cars from the USA might have had a criminal background at customs. There are many options: his companies could have been used for the illegal movement of conscription-age individuals abroad, or the perpetrators could have used forged documents to travel.

These are all questions directly for the law enforcement agencies, and we hope they will conduct a thorough investigation. It might turn out that Filippov isn’t solely involved in fraud. However, as a reminder, per the Constitution, a person is considered innocent until proven guilty in court.

Note on Filippov’s connections

Here’s an interesting addition: among the participants of «Pivdennyi Shlyakh» ltd. besides Filippov, according to the YouControl analytical system, there is also RD Borisovna. What makes her interesting?

The thing is, Danylenko is related to such Odesa giants (Borysov himself comes from this city), as LLC «RDS» («Rostdorstroy»), involved in road repairs using budget funds and with billion-dollar turnovers, and LLC «Derzhdorproekt».

We note that the latter company has orders from customs, particularly for checkpoints.

It is clear that this alone does not prove anything in the context of Filippov’s case. And Tetyana Danylenko is also unlikely to play a significant role in these companies. But it might indicate Filippov’s connections with rather influential individuals who aided in a dubious business with signs of fraud and, possibly, illegal border crossing.

But this is just a note in the margins.

The scandal surrounding Volodymyr Filippov and his companies Iron Motors and «Pivdennyi Shlyakh» uncovered a large-scale fraud scheme involving the sale of cars from the USA, leaving dozens of Ukrainians deceived out of significant amounts. After exposure in Ukraine, Filippov fled to Moldova, where he continued his activities, and his company is involved in a criminal case concerning the illegal export of conscription-age individuals abroad. Suspicions of document forgery and connections with influential individuals further deepen the question of how Filippov managed to leave Ukraine during martial law. While courts issue rulings in favor of the victims, the actual return of funds remains in question, and law enforcement investigations may reveal even more details about possible crimes. 

Nadezhda Denskaya