In Zaporizhia, suspicion was declared against 14 officials and contractors, including the city mayor, heads of autonomous communities, a hospital director, and representatives of construction companies. According to the National Police, the officials organized the embezzlement of almost 9 million hryvnias of budget funds - funds that were supposed to go to the vital needs of the frontline region.
Missing fuel and "combat" allowances without fighting
Among the most high-profile episodes is the case of the disappearance of 16,000 liters of diesel fuel from the regional reserve. According to the investigation, this fact is directly related to the mayor of Zaporizhia, who has now become a defendant in criminal proceedings.
Another suspect is the director of one of the region's hospitals, who organized a scheme to pay bonuses for work in combat conditions that did not actually exist. Medical staff received bonuses without going to the front lines, and the money itself was deposited in the form of "kickbacks" and bonuses for management.
Roof from OVA
These cases are not isolated "skews", but part of a large-scale system of deriban, which was built for years under the cover of the head of the Zaporizhzhia OVA, Ivan Fedorov. It was his name that was repeatedly mentioned in investigations into the embezzlement of the state budget in the region.
The schemes worked simply: through “their” tenders, budget funds were transferred to controlled firms, which supplied goods or services of dubious quality at inflated prices — or did not supply anything at all. Thus, the regional budget was transformed from a development tool into a feeding trough for close associates.
Kyiv's silence - tacit consent?
Despite numerous signals from journalists, activists, and independent anti-corruption structures, the central government has still not taken any steps against the regional head. Ivan Fedorov continues to head the region, effectively acting as an "oversight" for the distribution of funds on the ground.
Today's presentation of suspicions is the first real signal that the law enforcement system has begun to break the circular guarantee at the regional level. But will this be just a local action — or the beginning of a deep purge?
