In Odessa, officers of the Security Service of Ukraine detained a Moldovan citizen who organized a scheme to illegally supply military equipment to Transnistria. Law enforcement officers seized almost half a thousand armor plates and over two hundred plate carriers that were planned to be smuggled across the border under the guise of household goods.
According to the investigation, the foreigner acted on behalf of a high-ranking representative of the so-called “Ministry of Defense” of the unrecognized PMR. Since the beginning of the year, he has been looking for accomplices and establishing channels for purchasing protective equipment. The key was the deal with the Kyiv company “Smart Space Interiors”, through which 472 armored plates marked “Miilux Protection 500” of protection class 4 and 259 camouflaged plate carriers were purchased.
To hide the true purpose of the goods, the organizer rented a warehouse near Kyiv, where the equipment was delivered. The further plan involved transporting the equipment to Transnistria in small parts, disguising it among household goods. The transportation was to be carried out in a Toyota Sequoia across the state border of Ukraine.
He involved another Moldovan citizen in the scheme, who was well versed in customs procedures and was supposed to ensure a smooth border crossing.
However, the plan failed to be implemented. On March 13, 2025, SBU officers conducted a special operation in the Odessa region and detained the organizer. During a search of a rented warehouse, the entire batch of military equipment was seized.
The next day, the man was charged with several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: illegal handling of weapons and ammunition, preparation for a crime, participation in a criminal conspiracy, and violation of the rules of international transfers of military goods.
The Peresypsky District Court of Odessa decided to take the suspect into custody for 60 days and set bail at over 1.5 million hryvnias.
Law enforcement officers are currently investigating the involvement of the detainee and his possible accomplices in other channels of supplying equipment to Transnistria. If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison.
