Corruption scandal in the Ministry of Defense: uncovering a large-scale scheme causing losses of over 25 million hryvnias to the state
In a developing case that has garnered widespread attention, officers from the State Bureau of Investigation, in cooperation with the Security Service of Ukraine, have uncovered a large-scale corrupt scheme aimed at enriching high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Defense at the expense of national resources.
According to the official website of the SBI, investigators established that in September 2024, one of the state enterprises under the Ministry of Defense concluded a contract to supply 18,000 so-called ballistic or protective glasses.
However, tests conducted by the Research Testing and Certification Center for Personal Protective Equipment, along with expertise from Ukraine’s National Defense University, revealed that the supplied glasses did not meet the declared quality standards.
They failed to provide adequate protection against shrapnel, a primary deficiency of the products.
It was found that the scheme was orchestrated by criminals who falsified documents and certification papers, enabling the supplier company to receive substantial funds from the state budget.
As a result, the criminal scheme caused damage exceeding 25.7 million hryvnias.
During the investigation, multiple searches were conducted at the residences and workplaces of the suspects, with documents and electronic data carriers confiscated regarding procurement activities.
Notably, the director of the supplying enterprise was detained and is charged with embezzlement through abuse of official position, committed in wartime conditions (Part 5, Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
Additionally, a former officer from the Central Quality Control Department of the Ministry of Defense, responsible for monitoring product quality, has been notified of suspicion for neglect of duty that facilitated the scheme.
The pre-trial investigation continues, with authorities working to establish the full involvement of other officials in the scheme.
Earlier, law enforcement uncovered a scheme involving the theft of natural gas, which resulted in damages exceeding 400 million hryvnias, highlighting the pervasive corruption within Ukrainian government structures.