Ukrainian Defense Procurement Corruption Probe Uncovers 2.4 Billion UAH Loss

The State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) has completed the pre-trial investigation into two former officials of the Ministry of Defense’s Department of State Procurement, whose activities led to losses to the state totaling more than 2.4 billion UAH, the Bureau’s press service said.

According to investigators, in 2023 the officials entered into 95 contracts with contractors for the supply of lubricants, fuels and distillates for special-purpose equipment, with a total value of over 19 billion UAH.

It was also found that the officials, without a legal basis, included in the procurement costs a VAT credit amounting to over 2.4 billion UAH, in violation of Cabinet of Ministers resolutions and the Tax Code. As part of the investigation, the Ministry of Defense has already recovered about 2.2 billion UAH of the losses.

Both suspects are charged with different offenses: one for negligent attitude to military service (Part 4 of Article 425 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) with a possible sentence of up to 8 years in prison, the other for official negligence and forgery of official documents (Part 2 of Article 367 and Part 4 of Article 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

Case Summary and Procedural Guidance

The procedural leadership in the case is being carried out by the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office in the Defense Sector of the Office of the Prosecutor General, in accordance with the distribution of powers among the reforming organs of the prosecution and the DBR’s investigative divisions.

The DBR emphasizes that case materials confirm a systemic scheme of misappropriating budget funds in the defense sector and violations of financial and economic procedures that have harmed the country’s defense capability.