Money was spent on shoes and perfume: in Ukraine, a scheme to embezzle nearly a billion in drone procurement was uncovered

Law enforcement officers have uncovered a scheme involving the embezzlement of 800 million hryvnias in drone procurement.

This was reported by the State Financial Monitoring Service on its Facebook page.

According to investigators, the money was siphoned off through numerous shell companies, bank cards issued to front individuals, and fictitious imports. Some of it was even spent directly on buying clothing, shoes, and perfume.

The accounts of those involved in the illegal enrichment scheme have been frozen.

Earlier, it became known that near Odesa, a serviceman had been pawning drones and selling them online.

According to the investigation, from June 2023 to September 2025, the serviceman, who had access to military unit property and used his official position, unlawfully appropriated equipment intended for defense needs.

The State Bureau of Investigation also uncovered a multimillion-hryvnia corruption scheme involving the purchase of substandard food for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to investigators, the head of the food service at one military unit in Dnipropetrovsk region inflated the volume of food deliveries, while the quality of the products did not meet established standards. Among other things, combat units were receiving rotten vegetables and fruit.