The SBU’s investigation has “revealed officials of the Ministry of Defense and managers of the arms supplier Lviv Arsenal, who stole close to 1.5 billion hryvnias during the procurement of grenades”.
The amount corresponds to almost NOK 420 million.
– According to the investigation, former and current high-ranking officials in the Ministry of Defense and managers of affiliated companies are involved in the corruption, says the SBU’s statement.
The case concerns the purchase of 100,000 grenades for the Ukrainian defence. A contract was signed with Lviv Arsenal in August 2022, six months into the war, and payment was made in advance. Some of the money was transferred abroad. But no ammunition was obtained, and some of the funds were moved to foreign bank accounts, according to the SBU.
Five people linked to the Ministry of Defense and the arms supplier are suspects in the case. One of the suspects was arrested during an attempt to cross the Ukrainian border, according to the SBU.
The information from the SBU is confirmed by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence. The case could have consequences for Kyiv’s anti-corruption efforts, as corruption is one of the major issues that must be resolved before Ukraine can have the opportunity to become an EU member.
2024-01-28 00:20:07
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