The SSU jointly with the law enforcement agencies of the Kingdom of Spain prevented russia’s attempts to appropriate the property of a Ukrainian state-owned water transport company.

The management of a russian sanctioned company tried to seize two Ukrainian industrial vessels, which are currently in a Spanish port. The total value of the ships is over USD 10 mln.

To implement the scheme, representatives of the aggressor state ‘agreed’ with officials of the Ukrainian state-owned enterprise to lease the vessels to an affiliated business entity controlled from russia.

Then, the fraudsters created artificial conditions for transfer of the vessels to the russian company, supposedly for the payment of debt, formed as the result of seizure of assets in Ukraine.

However, the SSU together with Western partners timely exposed the criminal mechanism, identified the persons involved in its organization and blocked the illegal transfer of Ukrainian property.

Based on the SSU’s investigation, the court seized the vessels.

After urgent operational and investigative activities, they will be returned to the ownership of Ukraine.

Criminal proceeding was initiated under the Article 111-2 of the CCU (aiding the aggressor state). Investigators are preparing notices of suspicion to serve to the officials of the state-owned enterprise and their accomplices involved in the fraud.

The suspects are facing up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.

The SSU Main Investigation Department and the SSU Main Directorate for Counterintelligence Support of Critical Infrastructure and Countering Terrorism Financing exposed the offence under the supervision of the Prosecutor General’s Office.