Large-scale embezzlement scheme during creation of Dzvin system: HACC sets bail at UAH 2 million for former Commander of AFU Communications, Rapko
The High Anti-Corruption Court has imposed a pre-trial restraint on former Chief of the Communications Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Volodymyr Rapko, suspected of misappropriating budget funds during the creation of the Dzvin system.
This was reported by the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, Censor.NET reports.
As noted, on March 4, an investigating judge of the High Anti-Corruption Court upheld the motion of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and NABU detectives to impose a preventive measure on the former chief of the Armed Forces Communications Troops. He is suspected of embezzling budget funds during the creation of the automated system of the Dzvin Operational Command Center.
The court partially granted the investigation's motion, setting bail for the suspect in the amount of UAH 2 million and imposing a number of procedural obligations, among other things:
- appear when summoned by investigators, prosecutors and the court;
- not to leave Kyiv and Kyiv region without the permission of the investigation;
- notify of any change of place of residence or work;
- not to communicate with other persons involved in the case and witnesses regarding the circumstances of the case;
- surrender their passports and other documents for traveling abroad;
- wear an electronic control device.
The investigation into the possible misappropriation of budget funds during the implementation of the Dzvin project is ongoing.
Development of the Dzvin system
As a reminder, in March 2021, journalists reported that in 2016, the military ordered Everest Limited to develop a command and control system for the Armed Forces. The development took 4 years and UAH 600 million of budget funds. However, the audit found so many shortcomings and problems in the Dzvin project, as the system was called, that its implementation in the army may be inappropriate and impossible.
Later, the Ministry of Defence said that after the audit, funding for the Dzvin army management system had been suspended. The National Security and Defence Council held a meeting on the Dzvin system, where they discussed its acceptance into trial operation in one of the Armed Forces' military units for evaluation.
Servicemen of the former A2724 military unit (Aerial Intelligence) are convinced that the development of the Dzvin command and control system does not bring Ukraine any closer to NATO integration, and their unit was disbanded so that they could not speak about it.
However, in December 2022, Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov ordered the Armed Forces of Ukraine to adopt the Dzvin strategic-level automated command and control system, which is being investigated by the NABU.
