Ukrainian military officials and business leaders embezzled $40 million in an arms purchase at the start of the war launched by Moscow, the SBU, the country's main intelligence and security agency, has revealed.
The embezzlement occurred in August 2022, six months after the Russian invasion of the country, in connection with the purchase abroad of 100,000 mortar shells which were never delivered, according to an SBU press release broadcast during the night from Saturday to Sunday.
The funds (1.5 billion hrvynias) had in reality been embezzled by officials of the Ministry of Defense and the Lviv Arsenal company, mandated for the purchase, with the complicity of a foreign company, according to this source.
The fight against corruption, a major condition for the European Union
“A senior official of the Ministry of Defense and his predecessor, the director and sales manager of a Ukrainian company as well as the representative of a foreign company were served with a notice of suspicion,” said the general prosecutor's office.
One of the suspects is in custody after being arrested “during an attempt to leave Ukraine,” the SBU said.
The investigation was carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense, the SBU and the prosecutor's office emphasized.
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Corruption: Zelensky dismisses regional military recruitment officials
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In August 2023, President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed all regional officials in charge of military recruitment, due to exemptions granted for remuneration.
The fight against corruption is one of the major conditions set by the Twenty-Seven to Ukraine as part of its application for membership in the European Union.