On Mykolaiv region, representatives of military structures were involved in a large-scale scheme of illegal fuel resale intended for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which caused significant public and law enforcement concern
This was reported by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), which jointly investigated the case with the Specialized Defense Prosecutor's Office for the Southern Region. According to the obtained investigation data, the suspects impersonated high-ranking representatives of the military administration: the head of the fuel and lubricants storage department in one of the military units in Mykolaiv region and his direct subordinate, reportedly a technician, were involved in systematic draining and subsequent sale of diesel fuel intended to supply military units in the region. Law enforcement reports emphasize that the military personnel responsible for supplying fuels to the Ukrainian Armed Forces during wartime not only violated ethical norms and laws but also artificially created an additional source of income. One of the main obstacles was the use of special marking dyes applied to the fuel to prevent illegal operations. During the investigation, it was established that the fuel with red markings, meant to identify it as military and restrict access for outsiders, was systematically drained and resold to local farmers at discounted prices — 25 hryvnias per liter with dye and 28 hryvnias without it. This allowed buyers to save significant amounts of money while causing the national and local budgets millions in losses. Preliminary estimates by the investigators suggest that since the beginning of 2025, the suspects have sold at least 13,000 liters of fuel. This was made possible through a well-established scheme involving the systematic transfer of large volumes of fuel to "unofficial" buyers near the military unit. An important detail is that the group members not only engaged in resale but also tried to conceal their activities by marking the fuel and employing known draining mechanisms. On May 3, law enforcement operations led to the detention of the suspects during another transaction. At the time of arrest, they had received over 125,000 hryvnias for 5,000 liters of fuel — once again illustrating the scale of their unlawful activities and the high risk to state interests. As a result of the investigation, two individuals were officially notified of suspicion for misappropriation of military property during martial law, committed in conspiracy with a group of persons using official position. Currently, investigators are preparing motions to the court for the pre-trial detention of the suspects and their suspension from official duties to prevent any possible attempts to escape or obstruct justice. Furthermore, extensive efforts are underway to identify all individuals involved in this corruption scheme, with the aim of bringing all participants to justice and preventing similar abuse in the future. Today, law enforcement emphasizes that this case exemplifies the importance of systemic work in detecting and neutralizing corruption schemes within military structures, especially during wartime when every drop of fuel and each hryvnia are critical for national defense. At the same time, it is expressed that the arrest of the suspects should serve as a catalyst for more decisive actions by government agencies to combat corruption and illegal practices in Ukraine's defense sector.