The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine has announced an investigation into a private company accused of supplying the Ministry of Defense with substandard ballistic goggles during wartime. The company’s director faces allegations of misappropriating state property valued at approximately 154.8 million UAH.
According to the prosecutor’s office, the firm provided a compliance certificate from a German manufacturer to meet procurement requirements, which facilitated a state contract for the delivery of 100,000 units in April 2023. The Ministry of Defense accepted the goods, and the accompanying documentation, including testing reports, initially met the required standards.
However, subsequent customs intelligence revealed that the company imported only 2,000 goggles from the official foreign manufacturer. The origin of the remaining products remains unclear, but the entire shipment was presented as authentic German merchandise. Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko stated via Telegram that the supplied goggles failed to meet quality standards, as they were penetrated during testing, unlike the original products expected to withstand such impacts.
Military personnel utilize these goggles in combat situations to protect their eyes from shrapnel, dust, dirt, and small metal or glass fragments. The investigation indicates that the suspect is currently abroad, and efforts are underway to issue an international arrest warrant.
Kravchenko noted that the individual left Ukraine shortly after another commercial entity was implicated in similar procurement schemes in January. Both companies are reportedly linked to the same owner. In that earlier case, over 40,000 ballistic goggles and masks were supplied, totaling nearly 60 million UAH.
The Ministry of Defense has not yet commented on the ongoing investigation.
Ukrainian authorities are investigating a company for allegedly supplying substandard ballistic goggles to the Ministry of Defense, resulting in significant financial losses. The inquiry highlights concerns over military procurement practices amid ongoing conflict.