SsU exposed businessman who supplied 1000 defective FPV drones to Ukrainian Armed Forces

SsU exposed businessman who supplied 1000 defective FPV drones to Ukrainian Armed Forces

The Security Service and the National Police have blocked a scheme to embezzle state budget funds for the purchase of UAVs for the defense forces. According to the investigation, the deal was organized by the director of a private company from the Kyiv region specializing in the production of unmanned systems.

The SSU press service reported this on August 15.

At the beginning of this year, the entrepreneur won a tender for the purchase of 1,000 FPV drones for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which was held by the Netishyn City Council.

The total value of the contracts concluded was 16.4 million UAH, of which, according to the investigation, the owner of the manufacturing company stole almost a third.

To implement the scheme, the contractors installed low-quality navigation equipment on the drone. This concerns video cameras and video transmitters that did not meet the stated requirements for the technical characteristics of the UAV.

In this way, the defendant artificially lowered the cost of producing drones and pocketed the resulting “difference.”

The markup on each drone ranged from 4 to 7.5 thousand UAH, depending on its type.

After conducting an audit and a special examination of the compliance of the technical requirements of the goods, law enforcement officers received additional evidence of the entrepreneur’s criminal activity.

Based on the evidence, he was charged under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (appropriation of property by abuse of official position, committed by prior conspiracy by a group of persons under martial law on an especially large scale).

The question of choosing a preventive measure for the defendant is being decided. He faces up to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.

The investigation continues to establish all the circumstances of the crime and bring those responsible to justice.

Comprehensive measures were carried out by SSU officers in the Khmelnytskyi region together with investigators of the National Police under the procedural guidance of the Shepetivka District Prosecutor’s Office of the Khmelnytsky region.