In Lviv Region, an officer was exposed for unlawfully “pocketing” over 35 million hryvnias in military “combat” payments
The Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police carried out a large-scale special operation, which resulted in the uncovering of an official involved in the illegal appropriation of large sums of state funds allocated for servicemen. According to law enforcement authorities, in just a few months in 2023, this official awarded unjustified payments totaling more than 35 million hryvnias. This audacious scheme revealed not only abuse of official position but also a significant corruption fraud that could jeopardize the financial stability and trust in the military support system. As reported by the SBU and the National Police press services through official channels on Telegram, investigators established that the head of a battalion’s staff in one of the territorial defense units in Lviv Region, acting contrary to the law, unreasonably provided false information in official reports. In these documents, he claimed that the personnel of the battalion were participating in combat operations at the front, although in reality, their unit was carrying out combat tasks in rear areas. As a result, these false reports served as the basis for mass payments of approximately 100,000 hryvnias per soldier each month. According to official information, investigations showed that this military officer systematically provided false data from August to December 2023 in order to obtain additional financial allowances. The primary motive, as law enforcement officials state, was not so much personal gain but rather the desire to provide additional financial support to subordinates, up to illegal enrichment from state funds. At the same time, investigators emphasize that the unit in question did not actually participate in hostilities and functioned in rear areas, performing support functions. Currently, law enforcement authorities have announced suspicion to the battalion’s commander under Part 4 of Article 425 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — “negligent attitude towards military service in wartime.” Yesterday, as part of the criminal proceedings concerning the suspect, a preventive measure is being chosen. The most likely option is detention, and the investigation will continue to establish all the circumstances of the crime. Experts and law enforcement officials estimate that the scale of abuses and the exposure of this criminal scheme can have a serious impact on the reputation of military structures and trust in the system of financing military operations. Law enforcement warns that those responsible for this corruption crime will face the maximum possible punishment — up to eight years in prison with property confiscation. This is another signal from the authorities regarding zero tolerance for any manifestations of abuse and corruption during wartime. Investigative actions are already ongoing, with a team of experts working to uncover the full extent of the criminal scheme and hold all involved parties accountable.