Stole 1.5 billion from the Armed Forces of Ukraine: businessmen from the Moscow Region were detained

The SBU exposed officials of the Ministry of Defense and managers of the Lviv Arsenal who stole almost 1.5 billion UAH from the purchase of 100 thousand mortar rounds for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The SBU press service reported this on Saturday, January 27.

It was noted that the documentation of the crime took place with the help of the current Minister of Defense.

According to the investigation, former and current officials of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry and heads of affiliated companies were involved in the deal.

According to the investigation, in August 2022, officials entered into a contract for the purchase of a wholesale batch of artillery shells with the arms supplier Lviv Arsenal. The Ministry of Defense then transferred the entire amount provided by the signed document to the company’s accounts. After receiving the funds, the company’s management transferred part of the money to the balance of a foreign commercial structure, which was supposed to supply the ordered ammunition to Ukraine.

“However, he did not send an artillery shell to our state, and took the funds received in the shadows, transferring them to the accounts of another affiliated structure in the Balkans. The remaining amounts from the Ministry of Defense are remained in the accounts of the Ukrainian company in one of the banks of the capital,” said the message.

SBU officials documented the scheme of theft of public funds and identified all the people involved in the transaction. The stolen funds were seized, and the issue of their return to the Ukrainian budget was resolved.

Five people involved in the proceedings were declared suspects under Part 5 of Art. 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (misuse, embezzlement of property or its property by abuse of official position, committed by an organized group).

In particular, the former and current head of the Department of Military-Technical Policy, Development of Weapons and Military Equipment of the Ministry of Defense, the head and commercial director of the Lviv Arsenal company, as well as their accomplice, a representative of a foreign commercial structure, received suspicion.

“The SBU detained one of the defendants who was trying to leave Ukraine, so he is in custody. The issue of preventive measures for the other defendants has now been decided,” the SBU said.

It is known that the attackers face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of assets.

We remind you that the day before it was reported that the Ministry of Defense sued Lviv Arsenal LLC for more than UAH 1.5 billion.

It is also reported that the prosecutor’s office of Bosnia and Herzegovina is examining the circumstances of the purchase of the Vitezit explosives plant, which may include funds from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine paid under a contract for the supply of mortar rounds.