Former Ukrainian Defense Ministry official detained for embezzling nearly €21 million on military supplies

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has released details of a high-profile corruption case involving one of the key areas of military support — the army’s food supply.

According to investigators, a former head of a department within the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense is suspected of embezzling more than 1 billion hryvnias (approximately €20.9 million) between March and December 2022. During this period, the official oversaw food procurement for the Armed Forces of Ukraine amid the full-scale war with Russia.

According to the SBU’s official statement, the suspect abused his official position to organize a corruption scheme in which funds allocated for feeding soldiers were funneled off through fake contracts, inflated prices, and intermediary shell companies. The investigation notes that such actions posed a direct threat to the army’s food security and undermined public trust in government institutions.

The former official has been formally charged under an article related to the embezzlement of state property on a particularly large scale, committed using an official position. He faces up to 12 years in prison and the confiscation of his assets.

“In the context of a prolonged war and ongoing grassroots fundraising efforts for the military, corruption within the defense sector is a betrayal not only of the law but of society itself,” Ukrainian anti-corruption activists emphasized.

This case is not the first scandal involving defense procurement, and it further increases pressure on the government to ensure transparency and justice. The public is demanding real accountability, not just another “high-profile case” without consequences.