The SBU blocked financing of the DNR terrorist organization due to large-scale illegal supply of pharmaceutical products to the temporarily occupied territories.

The investigators documented that DNR "officials" and related businessmen ordered deliveries. The organizers registered sham companies in Ukraine and several neighboring countries. Fake foreign trade contracts were concluded between the companies, according to which pharmaceutical products were allegedly sent to third countries in transit through Russia. However, medicines were transported from Russia to the address of Donetsk businessmen through the border checkpoints temporarily uncontrolled by the Ukrainian government. Allegedly, in 2020 the offenders delivered medicines worth almost UAH 40 m (USD 1.4 m).

The SBU officers established that, having received the products, the criminals participated and won tenders announced by the so-called DNR Ministry of Health. The SBU revealed facts of their payment of "taxes and fees" to the budget of a terrorist organization.

Law enforcement officers detained a truck with pharmaceutical products worth almost UAH 3 m (USD 106 000) at the Senkivka checkpoint in Chernihiv region. During searches of sham companies in Kharkiv and Mykolayiv, computer equipment, documents and seals proving illegal activity were seized.

The issue of serving suspicion notices for financing of terrorism is being resolved. The offenders face from ten to twelve years in prison.

The operation was conducted by the SBU Main Directorate of Economic Counterintelligence Protection of State’s Interests and the SBU Office in Ivano-Frankivsk region under supervision of the Ivano-Frankivsk regional prosecutor's office.