AFPEAn agent of the Ukrainian secret service SBOe
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 02:23
The Ukrainian secret service SBOe says it has discovered a fraud case in its own army. Officials from the Ministry of Defense are suspected of having embezzled approximately 37 million euros together with an arms supplier.
In August 2022, six months after the start of the war, officials signed an agreement with little-known arms supplier Lviv Arsenal, according to the Secret Service. 100,000 mortar shells were to be delivered to the army, but Defense did not receive a single shell from that order.
According to the SBOe, the money was diverted to foreign accounts. Presumably, high-ranking officials from the ministry and the management of Lviv Arsenal enriched themselves.
Five suspects
Five people are suspected of fraud. One of them was stopped while trying to cross the Ukrainian border. The rest are still being sought. They risk a prison sentence of up to twelve years.
Corruption within the military can be a problem for morale in wartime. The news will also not go down well with the European Union, with which Ukraine may hold accession talks.
In September, Defense Minister Reznikov was replaced by President Zelensky. It is believed that Reznikov has done too little to tackle corruption within the ministry and the armed forces.
2024-01-28 01:23:44
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