2024-01-28T14:50:00+02:00 Politics 2024-05-15T04:19:53+03:00

Ukrainian news

Defense Ministry officials and Lviv Arsenal managers exposed of stealing UAH 1.5 billion from procurement

Defense Ministry officials and Lviv Arsenal managers exposed of stealing UAH 1.5 billion from procurement

The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has exposed the officials of the Ministry of Defense and managers of the Lviv Arsenal, who stole almost UAH 1.5 billion from the procurement of shells.

This is stated in the message of the SSU.

Thus, according to the investigation, former and current high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and heads of affiliated companies were involved in the operation. The attackers tried to steal almost UAH 1.5 billion of budget funds on the purchase of 100,000 mortar shots for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to the investigation, in August 2022, officials signed a contract for the procurement of a wholesale batch of artillery shells with the arms supplier Lviv Arsenal. Then the Ministry of Defense transferred to the accounts of the enterprise the entire amount provided for by the signed document. 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, it did not send a single artillery shell to the country, and brought the received funds into the shadows, transferring them to the accounts of another affiliated structure in the Balkans. The rest of the amount from the Ministry of Defense remained in the accounts of a Ukrainian company in one of the capital's banks.

As a result of complex measures, SSU employees documented the scheme of embezzlement of state funds and identified all persons involved in the transaction.

Currently, the stolen funds have been arrested, the issue of their return to the budget of Ukraine is being resolved.

According to the materials of the Security Service, 5 persons involved in the proceedings were notified of suspicion under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (appropriation, embezzlement of property or seizure of it by malpractice committed by an organized group).

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

The SSU detained one of the defendants in an attempt to go outside Ukraine, so he is currently in custody. The issue of precautions for other figures in the case is currently being resolved.

The attackers face up to 12 years in prison, with confiscation of property. Criminal proceedings were initiated according to the results of an audit of the State Audit Service.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine in November 2022 signed a contract with the private company Lviv Arsenal for the supply of 120 mm and 82 mm mortar rounds to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The agency transferred almost UAH 1.5 billion to the company, but it did not transfer a single promised shot.