In Kyiv region, a scheme of embezzlement of 15.5 million hryvnias of army funds was uncovered.

According to ТСН: A significant scheme of appropriation of budgetary funds in a military unit has been discovered in the Kyiv region, exceeding 15.5 million UAH. According to the investigation, both military officials and civilians were involved in this illegal activity.

Uncovering the scheme

The State Bureau of Investigation reported that the matter concerns a military unit currently temporarily located in the Donetsk region. Many individuals for whom military pay was disbursed actually resided in Kyiv region, and some of them were even wanted by territorial recruitment and social support centers.

Methods of fraud

It became known that the accountant of the military unit organized this scheme. He found civilians, offering them fictitious employment supposedly for service or work in the military unit. These 'candidates' provided him with their personal documents, bank cards, and confidential payment data.

After that, the accountant monthly credited fictitious payments of military pay to their accounts, including additional bonuses that should belong to soldiers, up to 100 thousand UAH. However, these individuals were not officially enrolled in the staff of the military unit and did not perform any official duties. Most of the unlawfully obtained funds were appropriated by the accountant, giving the cardholders only small amounts 'for the use of the accounts.'

Consequences of the scheme

To implement this scheme, data about fictitious 'fighters' was artificially entered into the accounting documentation of the military unit and submitted to banks for payments, despite the fact that the mentioned individuals were not on the personnel lists.

As a result of these actions, the state budget suffered damages of at least 15.5 million hryvnias. Pre-trial investigations are ongoing, and law enforcement is identifying all individuals involved in this scheme and considering legal assessments of their actions.

Recall that earlier we wrote about the uncovering of a corruption scheme with fictitious combat payments in the 155th separate mechanized brigade named after Anna Kyivska.

This case underscores a serious problem of corruption in the military sector of Ukraine, which affects the combat readiness and resilience of the Armed Forces. It is important for law enforcement agencies to actively investigate such cases, as large-scale abuses of budget funds can undermine the country's defense capability.

The scheme of appropriation of budget funds in the military unit violates not only the legislation but also moral norms, as the resources intended to support the army are used for personal enrichment. This should be a signal for society and the state to ensure transparency and effectiveness in the use of public finances, especially in wartime.