Almost 1.5 billion UAH in shells were stolen: suspicions were announced to officials of the Ministry of Defense and managers of the Lviv Arsenal

The security service exposed a scheme to steal 1.5 billion UAH during the purchase of ammunition. Former and current officials of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and managers of Lviv Arsenal are involved in the deal.

The press center of the SBU reports this.

The attackers tried to steal almost 1.5 billion hryvnia from the budget for the purchase of 100 thousand mortar rounds for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

According to the investigation, in August 2022, officials entered into a contract for the purchase of a wholesale batch of artillery shells with the arms supplier Lviv Arsenal. Then the Ministry of Defense transferred the entire amount provided for by the signed document to the company’s accounts.

After receiving the funds, the company’s management transferred part of the money to the balance of a foreign commercial structure, which was supposed to supply the ordered ammunition to Ukraine. However, she did not send a single artillery shell to our state, and took the funds received into the shadows, transferring them to the accounts of another affiliated structure in the Balkans.

The remaining amounts from the Ministry of Defense remained in the accounts of the Ukrainian company in one of the capital’s banks.

SBU officers documented the scheme of theft of public funds and identified all persons involved in the transaction. The stolen funds have been seized, and the issue of their return to the Ukrainian budget is being resolved.

Five persons involved in the proceedings were informed of suspicion under Part 5 of Art. 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (misappropriation, embezzlement of property or taking possession of it through abuse of official position, committed by an organized group).

In particular, the former and current heads of the department of military-technical policy, development of weapons and military equipment of the Ministry of Defense, the head and commercial director of the Lviv Arsenal company, as well as their accomplice, a representative of a foreign commercial structure, received suspicion.

The SBU detained one of the defendants trying to leave Ukraine, so he is in custody. The issue of precautionary measures for other defendants is currently being decided.

The perpetrators face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.