The State Bureau of Investigation has completed a pre-trial investigation into the commander of a military unit in the Odessa region, who is accused of abuse of office. The indictment has already been sent to the court.
According to the investigation, in early 2025, the colonel ordered four subordinate servicemen to go to the city of Podilsk to carry out repairs in an apartment registered for his mother-in-law. For three months — from January to March — the soldiers, instead of performing their official duties, engaged in construction work: laying tiles, plastering walls, and installing plumbing.
Despite this, the military continued to receive combat pay, which resulted in losses to the state of almost a million hryvnias. In addition, as noted by the State Intelligence Service, the commander's actions created risks for defense capabilities, as subordinates were effectively suspended from service.
In April, SBI officers detained the colonel directly in his apartment during an inspection of the work performed. The commander himself does not admit his guilt. He stated that the soldiers allegedly “voluntarily helped” with the repairs during air raids.
Investigators are preparing a civil lawsuit to compensate the state for the damages caused. If the colonel is proven guilty, he faces up to six years in prison.
