The State Bureau of Investigation has uncovered a large-scale scheme involving familiar abuse of military privileges and high-ranking corruption schemes
According to authorities, the commander of one of the battalion tactical units stationed in Donetsk region organized a criminal scheme that led to the embezzlement of nearly one million hryvnias of state funds. Official information released by the SBI states that the suspect devised and implemented a scheme to falsify documents in order to illegally secure payments for his subordinate, who allegedly was in a combat zone. From January 2023 until almost November 2024, he prepared documents claiming her service in the hottest spots on the Donetsk frontline. In reality, law enforcement reports indicate that the woman was located in safe areas of Dnipropetrovsk region throughout this period, performing domestic and likely administrative duties far from the front line. The key revelation is that, thanks to these falsifications, the subordinate received monetary payments intended for service members in combat zones. Such payments are provided by the state as additional social protection and compensation for the risks faced by soldiers on the front lines. Through this fraud, the state budget was unjustifiably "filled" with over 800,000 hryvnias—funds that, according to investigators, were meant for actual defenders of Ukraine. Charges have been filed against the battalion commander for abuse of power, forgery of official documents, as well as aiding in evasion of military service and causing material damages to the state. His subordinate—who supposedly was in a combat zone—was also charged with attempting to evade military duty and embezzling significant funds during the wartime. Currently, law enforcement authorities are conducting an investigation. It is known that both the commander and his subordinate are in custody as investigators prepare to establish justice in this case, which has become a vivid example of corruption abuses within military structures during wartime. Efforts are underway to build a case to eliminate such violations from the military system and to emphasize zero tolerance for corruption, even in the most critical sectors of Ukraine’s defense.