In Zakarpattia oblast, the SSU jointly with the National Police has exposed a clandestine production of winter sportswear for the russian national ski team.

The illegal sewing took place at one of the region’s garment enterprises. The facility began fulfilling orders from a russian company that supplies specialized clothing for the aggressor state’s sports teams in early 2023.

According to the investigation, during this period the illicit workshop manufactured and delivered to russia over 40 wholesale batches of winter jackets for russian skiers. When sending the sportswear, the workers used gauze tape to cover the russian symbols on it.

To conceal the illegal deliveries, their route ran through a country in Europe, where the factory’s owner was located.

He turned out to be a foreigner and was directly involved in concluding contracts with russian customers and organizing shipments of finished products to russia.

To ensure the production in the sewing shop, he engaged the head of the enterprise. No more than 5 seamstresses were involved in executing the russian order, and they were selected from among trusted persons.

These women were additionally instructed not to disclose the fact of cooperation for the benefit of the aggressor state to their friends, acquaintances or relatives.

The criminal proceeding was initiated under Article 110-2 of the CCU (financing actions committed with the purpose of forceful change or overthrow of constitutional order or seizure of state power, change of the boundaries of the territory or the state border of Ukraine). The investigation is underway.

The persons involved are facing up to 10 years in prison with confiscation of property.

The operation was carried out under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor General’s Office.