The State Bureau of Investigations of Ukraine has announced new charges against a military food service chief, implicating him in illegal enrichment and the laundering of assets acquired through criminal means. This development is part of a broader investigation into a significant corruption scheme involving food supplies for combat units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
According to the bureau’s report dated February 20, 2024, investigators uncovered that a major in the military had purchased luxury apartments on Bali for $190,000. Additionally, he reportedly spent nearly 2.5 million hryvnias on clothing at a high-end store in Dnipro.
Experts estimate that the total value of assets acquired by the officer exceeds 10 million hryvnias. The State Bureau of Investigations indicated that his lavish lifestyle was linked to a scheme for embezzling funds allocated for the sustenance of military personnel.
Investigators revealed that the officer colluded with the founder and commercial director of a supplying company. The scheme involved so-called “phantom” transactions, where officials signed acceptance certificates for the full quantity of products, while only a fraction of the goods actually reached the military units. The remainder was accounted for through intermediaries.
The major faces multiple charges, including fraud, unlawful enrichment, and evasion of military service during wartime conditions, among others, as outlined in various articles of the Ukrainian Criminal Code.
A court has ordered the officer to be held in custody, with the possibility of bail set at 9 million hryvnias. Following the court’s decision, he was sent to military detention. A hearing regarding the seizure of his assets is expected to take place soon.
As of now, the defense’s position has not been publicly disclosed.
A military officer in Ukraine has been charged with corruption related to a food supply scandal, involving significant illegal financial gains. Investigations reveal a network of fraudulent transactions linked to military provisioning.