The SSU Counterintelligence jointly with the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine and the leadership of Ukroboronprom uncovered new episodes of misappropriation of budget funds for the purchase of components for combat aircraft of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

This is a criminal scheme that the law enforcement agencies dismantled in December 2023 at one of Ukraine’s defence enterprises.

At that time, the former director of the plant was exposed on embezzling at least UAH 4 mln during the purchase of modules for radar systems for Ukrainian fighter jets.

Now, the law enforcement have documented an additional UAH 32 mln that the suspect and his accomplices diverted to ‘shadow economy’.

This brings the total amount of damage caused to the state to over UAH 36 mln (USD 867,000).

The scheme consisted of accepting knowingly defective parts on the account of the enterprise after they had been supplied to the plant by ‘controlled’ companies. The money paid for these faulty parts was then cashed out and distributed among the participants of the scheme.

The former director of the state-owned enterprise (in absentia), his former deputy, six heads of controlled companies and two other accomplices have been notified of suspicion (in accordance with the crimes committed) under the following Articles of the CCU:

• 255.2, 255.3 (creation, management of a criminal community or criminal organization, participation in it);
• 28.4, 191.5 (misappropriation, embezzlement or seizure of property through abuse of office, on a particularly large scale, committed by a criminal organization);
• 28.4, 366.1 (forgery of official documents, entering false information in official documents, committed by a criminal organization);
• 28.4, 209.3 (legalization of proceeds of crime, in particularly large amounts, committed by a criminal organization).

The suspects face up to 13 years in prison with confiscation of property.

The former head of the state-owned enterprise is hiding from prosecution outside Ukraine. Efforts to bring him to justice are underway.

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