Found in the forest – sold them: a resident of Odesa region sentenced for selling live grenades

In Odesa, a serviceman illegally acquired and sold live grenades. The man admitted guilt and explained that he agreed to the deal in exchange for money. The court took into account his military service, family, and remorse, but still handed down a sentence.

This was reported by the media, citing data from the Unified State Register of Court Decisions.

A 37-year-old serviceman who, during mobilization, illegally acquired, stored, and sold live grenades has been sentenced. The man served as a rifleman in the security unit of a military base. He has a family, a minor child, and had no prior criminal record. According to the case file, at an unspecified time he received from unidentified persons the bodies and fuzes of RGO and GHO-1 combat grenades. He took them home and began storing them, intending to sell them. Later, he agreed with an acquaintance to sell two grenades for 2,000 hryvnias (€41).

The next day, in a park on Artyleriyska Street, he handed the munitions over to the buyer. Some time later, the situation repeated itself. The man again illegally acquired munitions — this time the body of an F-1 grenade with a fuze and an M67 grenade. He stored them at his place of residence and later agreed to sell them to the same buyer. On 15 May, in the same park, the serviceman sold two grenades for 4,000 hryvnias (€82).

During the trial, the defendant fully admitted his guilt. He said that he had been serving since March 2022 and had been on various combat fronts, including in Kharkiv region. The Odesa resident confirmed that he knew the rules governing weapons circulation but agreed to the deal at the request of an acquaintance who offered him money for it. The man asked not to be punished harshly and to have his service taken into account.

The court considered the case under a special procedure — the parties agreed not to examine all the evidence, since the guilt was not disputed. The court treated his sincere remorse as a mitigating circumstance and the repeat nature of the crime as an aggravating one. The defendant acted knowingly, out of selfish motives, and the sale of munitions in a rear city during wartime is dangerous for society. As a result, the serviceman’s actions were classified under Part 1 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code — illegal acquisition, storage, carrying, and sale of munitions. He was sentenced to 4 years in prison, but was released from serving the sentence with a 3-year probation period. In addition, he must pay the state 3,565.60 hryvnias (€73) for expert assessments.