Theft of money on the Armed Forces: almost UAH 1.5 billion was returned to the budget of Ukraine - Umerov (photo)

It is important not only to find the perpetrators of abuse, but also to return the lost," he said. The theft of public funds was prevented by the Security Service of Ukraine together with the Office of the Prosecutor General and in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense. According to law enforcement officers, almost UAH 1. 5 billion was returned to the budget, which were illegally withdrawn abroad during the purchase of a wholesale party of ammunition.

In addition, the SBU reminded that the military counterintelligence of the Security Service exposed this equipment in December 2023. At that time, the organizer of the Scheme was detained - the head of one of the main departments of the Ministry of Defense. According to the investigation, the official tried to assign budget funds allocated for government orders for the needs of Ukrainian servicemen.

To this end, he arranged a transfer from the balance of the Ministry of Defense to foreign accounts of an affiliate firm-intermediary almost 1. 5 billion hryvnias for the purchase of artillery shells. "This amount exceeded the cost of another, an alternative contract that concluded the newly created defense procurement agency at that time," the SBU said. Investigators have now declared a suspicion to a military official.

An investigation is being investigated to establish all the circumstances of the crime and to hold the perpetrators. With this offense, the persons involved in up to 15 years in prison. We will remind, on December 29 it became known that the supplier of the Ministry of Defense tried for half a million dollars to bribe the DBR.