In early February 2025, the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court agreed to lift the arrest of most of the winter uniforms involved in the high-profile criminal proceedings on embezzlement in defense procurement. We are talking about more than 46 thousand jackets and 42 thousand pairs of trousers purchased by the Ministry of Defense from the Vector avia company.
The decision was made based on a petition from the command of the Logistics Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The interim head of this unit, Brigadier General Oleg Gut, personally appealed to the court with a request to unfreeze the material evidence, emphasizing that the seized clothing could be used in less extreme weather conditions. The court also took into account logistical difficulties: storing tens of thousands of sets required significant resources.
However, the court separately noted that its ruling in no way confirms the quality of this equipment. For a final assessment, examinations must be completed - only 50 units of each category were left under arrest.
These clothes are part of a high-profile case in which former Deputy Defense Minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov and former head of the state procurement department Bohdan Khmelnytsky are suspected. According to the investigation, in 2022 they concluded several contracts with “Vector avia” for the supply of winter equipment worth more than $30 million. According to the case materials, the delivered goods did not meet the technical specifications - the jackets had insufficient weight and thermal insulation.
The company “Vector avia” was at that time associated with the people's deputy from the “Servant of the People” party, Gennady Kasai. One of its co-founders was his nephew, 26-year-old handball player from Zaporizhzhia, Oleksandr Kasai. Later, the company came under the full control of Roman Pletnev, a businessman who is also associated with a number of other companies, which include former prosecutors and people close to the Office of the President.
Despite the company's dubious reputation, its products will now be supplied to the military. This situation raises many questions - both about the control system in the Ministry of Defense and the mechanisms for judicial decision-making regarding material evidence in criminal cases.
