The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) together with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported new suspicions to the former Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine and two other expositors regarding the embezzlement of nearly 950 million hryvnias of state funds for the purchase of body armor for the army. This message was received in accordance with investigations related to the conclusion of an agreement between the Ministry of Defense and an Eastern European company for the supply of body armor.
According to the SDB, the products that were purchased in 2022 did not meet the standards and could not be used by servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) as intended due to their poor quality. This can pose a serious threat to the life and health of soldiers on the front line.
A joint investigation by the SBI and the SBU led to the fact that the three involved were charged under Part 2 of Art. 28, Part 2 of Art. 114-1 and Part 5 of Art. 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. These articles provide for punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of up to 15 years for obstructing the legal activities of the Armed Forces and other military formations, embezzlement of someone else's property in particularly large amounts and under martial law.
