Procurement of defective mortars worth 182 million hryvnias: SSU has notified former Ministry of Defence official that he is under suspicion. VIDEO+PHOTOS
The Security Service’s military counter-intelligence unit, with the assistance of the Minister of Defence, has exposed the former director of the Department of Military-Technical Policy for the Development of Armaments and Military Equipment at the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence for embezzling public funds.
This was reported by Censor.NET, citing the SSU press centre.
According to the case file, he was involved in the 2023 procurement of defective mortars for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, totalling 182 million hryvnias.
What did the investigation establish?
As noted,this concerns 250 units of 120-millimetre mortars that did not meet the tactical and technical specifications stated by the manufacturer.
"The supply of substandard weapons undermined the defence capabilities of the Ukrainian armed forces. In particular, the combat use of the defective mortars posed a threat to the lives and health of personnel in the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ artillery crews on the front line," the statement reads.
According to the case file, whilst in office, the suspect entered into a contract with an unverified foreign company for the production of artillery weapons for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
However, instead of licensed products meeting the stated technical standards, the contractors shipped ‘junk’ – which is prohibited from use in combat conditions – to the warehouses of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence.
Meanwhile, public funds were transferred to the manufacturer’s accounts.
What did the expert investigation establish?
An audit and a forensic engineering and mechanical examination, initiated by the Security Service, confirmed the criminal activities of the former official.
As Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko noted, the situation remained unchanged despite attempts to rectify the shortcomings. The mortars lacked firing accuracy, broke down quickly, and were dubbed ‘paper mortars’ by the military because they were effectively incapable of fulfilling their intended purpose.
According to the investigation, this was made possible by the actions of the official responsible for organising the procurement. In fact, the weapons were purchased without confirmation that they met the tactical and technical specifications of foreign-made mortars.
Suspicion
- Investigators from the Main Investigation Directorate of the Security Service informed him that he was suspected of an offence under Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (abuse of power or official position resulting in serious consequences).
- The suspect faces up to six years’ imprisonment. The investigation is ongoing to bring all those responsible to justice.
- All defective artillery weapons have now been removed from Ukrainian Armed Forces units.
