Ex-officials of the Ministry of Defense will be prosecuted for wasting ₴2 billion on ammunition purchases

They bought low-quality bulletproof vests at inflated prices. Illustrative photo from open networks

Prosecutors submitted to the High Anti-Corruption Court an indictment against former officials of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, who are suspected of embezzling almost 2 billion hryvnias during the purchase of low-quality ammunition for the Ukrainian military.

This was reported in the Office of the Prosecutor General.

It is noted that charges have been brought against the former deputy minister of defense, the head of the department of public procurement and supply of material resources of the Ministry of Defense, as well as the former head of the material supply department of the Armed Forces. They are charged with embezzlement and obstructing the legal activities of the Armed Forces.

The Prosecutor General's Office reported that in 2022 the accused organized the purchase of low-quality body armor at inflated prices. The purchased ammunition did not meet Ukrainian standards and could not adequately protect the servicemen, which caused the state losses in the amount of almost 2 billion hryvnias.

The pre-trial investigation was carried out by the SSU under the operational support of the SBU and the Counterintelligence Department of the SSU.

Earlier, the law enforcement officers exposed the organizers of a scheme to seize 94.8 million hryvnias for the purchase of transformers at inflated prices in JSC Ukrzaliznytsia.

As reported, in the Mykolaiv region, an official appropriated ₴1 million for the purchase of goods for the military.