Three servicemen attempted to steal and sell 1 metric ton of explosives - SBI

Three military personnel were detained while attempting to steal and sell more than 1 metric ton of explosives.

The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) reported this to the Ukrainian News agency.

The servicemen were detained while loading the weapons onto a truck.

During the arrest, more than 700 rounds of ammunition, approximately 1.2 metric tons of plastic explosive, and four anti-tank weapons were seized. The total value of the seized items exceeds UAH 2 million. Additionally, as part of the pre-trial investigation, another instance of weapons trafficking has been documented.

Three military personnel have been notified of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 1 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal handling of ammunition and explosives committed by a group of persons acting in concert).

The court imposed the following pretrial measures on the suspects: two were remanded in custody with the possibility of bail, and the third was placed under round-the-clock house arrest.

The pretrial investigation is ongoing. SBI officers are determining the origin of the seized weapons and identifying other individuals who may be involved in their illegal circulation.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, officers of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) exposed a servicemember from a military unit in the Ivano-Frankivsk Region who had organized the illegal sale of weapons, ammunition, and a military drone. The Security Service’s counterintelligence unit prevented a new series of terrorist attacks in Kharkiv. Law enforcement officers detained an FSB agent who was planning a series of bombings in the frontline city.