In Kyiv Region, law enforcement officers uncovered a large-scale corruption scheme that led to illegal payments of “combat” allowances totaling nearly five million hryvnias
A former deputy commander of one of the military units from Vinnytsia region was suspected due to a complex scheme of document forgery and unlawful allocation of funds to soldiers who were not directly in the active combat zone. According to information received from the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office in the Defense Sector of the Western Region, the State Bureau of Investigation, and the National Police, the center of this corruption scheme was the former deputy commander of one of the military units in Vinnytsia region. Investigations revealed that he unlawfully issued forged certificates to servicemen who supposedly participated in combat operations in Kyiv Region from September to December 2022. In reality, the basis for such payments was not combat activity but artificial document falsification. According to criminal materials obtained, at a time when Kyiv Region was no longer considered an active combat zone, this military unit near Lviv registered the necessary documents for the accrual and disbursement of "combat" allowances. Based on the forged certificates signed by the former deputy commander, a total of 4.8 million hryvnias was transferred to the soldiers’ accounts. This means that the state budget was unlawfully used to finance what were, at the moment, "fake" combat merits. The investigation established that, in fact, these servicemen performed tasks in a peaceful area, and their actions did not correspond to a combat status. Such unlawful activity effectively violated military discipline principles and threatened trust in the social benefit system for combat veterans. Regarding the former deputy commander of the military unit, who is now suspected of negligence in service, investigators reported that he jeopardized significant state interests during wartime. According to a court decision, a bail of 908,000 hryvnias was set as a preventive measure. This marks the first step in building a case against the involved persons, as the matter is still being considered in court. Overall, this case highlights the scale of problems with corruption schemes in the military sector, especially in the context of prolonged military aggression. The military prosecutor’s office emphasizes that it will continue taking measures to detect and stop such abuses to safeguard public funds and protect the honor and dignity of Ukrainian soldiers. The investigation is ongoing, and all persons involved in illegal financial manipulations will be held accountable according to the law.