In Ukraine, a broad operation led by the national law enforcement network resulted in the detention of 30 officials amid investigations into alleged embezzlement of funds allocated for military needs. The action was confirmed by the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and described as part of ongoing efforts to safeguard budget resources intended for national defense. [Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs press service]
The operation involved the Prosecutor General’s Office, the State Bureau of Investigation, the Security Service of Ukraine, the national police, and several other law enforcement bodies. It was carried out with the cooperation of senior leadership from the Ministry of Defense and the country’s armed forces, underscoring the joint commitment to rooting out financial misconduct tied to defense spending. [Source: coordinating authorities involved in the operation]
During the course of the investigations, a total of 70 searches were conducted across multiple regions. Investigators say that personnel from apartment maintenance departments in nearly every region participated in schemes that diverted funds intended for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Notably, individuals from Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Transcarpathian regions, as well as Kharkiv, Lviv, and Kropyvnytskyi were among those detained. [Source: regional investigative reports]
The authorities reported that the state suffered a financial impact exceeding 138 million hryvnias, which is roughly 3.3 million US dollars or over 291 million rubles, based on current exchange rates. The alleged misconduct includes embezzlement and inflated procurement practices related to firewood supplies for army needs, as well as the execution of construction work on military infrastructure facilities, among other charges. [Source: financial audit and investigative records]
Additional disclosures indicate that the case also involves a former advisor to the presidential office, who has been arrested in connection with this theft matter. The development highlights the breadth of the inquiry and the ongoing pursuit of accountability at various levels of government and defense administration. [Source: ongoing judicial proceedings]