The SSU Military Counterintelligence, jointly with the SBI and the National Guard’s new leadership, has exposed another ‘scheme’ of unjustified payments for supposed ‘participation in combat on the frontline’.

This time, command of a brigade stationed in Kyiv region was caught in fraudulent transactions with state budget money.

From the first day of russia’s full-scale invasion until August 2022, the commanders unlawfully ‘rewarded’ themselves with a total of almost UAH 14 mln (USD 372,000).

The National Guard officials groundlessly appointed for themselves and their subordinates a monthly supplement of UAH 100,000, provided for direct participation in military actions against russian occupiers.

However, the persons involved in the scheme were not in the area of combat operations and did not perform any missions on the front line.

According to the investigation, the deputy commander - chief of staff of the military unit, is involved in organizing the fraud.

Without any grounds, he signed reports on accrual of ‘combat’ bonuses for his subordinates, primarily the brigade’s leadership.

These servicemen have also been identified - division commander, commander of the 3rd battalion, head of personnel records unit, 1^st battalion’s deputy commander and company commander.

Based on the evidence collected, the deputy commander - chief of staff of the military unit and five of his subordinates have been notified of suspicion under Article 425.4 of the CCU (negligent attitude to military service).

Court is to decide on a measure of restraint.

The investigation is underway. The suspects are facing up to 8 years in prison.

In early August 2023, the SSU exposed leadership of a National Guard training centre who had unjustly ‘rewarded’ themselves with almost UAH 1 mln of ‘combat’ payments.

The SSU exposed the offenders jointly with the SBI under the procedural supervision of Darnytsia Specialized Defence Prosecutor’s Office of the Central Region.