A scheme involving the sale of decommissioned Ukrainian Armed Forces drones was uncovered in the Mykolaiv region

In the Mykolaiv region and other regions of Ukraine, a scheme to embezzle more than 16 million hryvnias during the procurement of drones for the Armed Forces of Ukraine was uncovered. 

The SBU’s military counterintelligence, in collaboration with the prosecutor’s office, the State Bureau of Investigation, and the National Police, and with the assistance of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, uncovereda scheme to embezzle funds allocated for the purchase of drones for the army.

According to the investigation, drones that had previously been decommissioned and were unsuitable for combat use were sold to the military under the guise of new products, and Ukrainian Armed Forces officials were involved in the scheme.

The suspects were detained in Kyiv, as well as in the Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Mykolaiv regions.

According to law enforcement, two military officials were involved in the scheme. They reported the drones as lost on the battlefield and handed them over to the scheme’s organizer. Together with his accomplices, he altered the drones’ identification data and sold them to military units at the prices of new equipment.

As noted by the press service, the drones—which were unfit for combat use—were subsequently written off again and returned to the suspects for resale. Thus, according to the investigation, the scheme operated in a cyclical manner.

Law enforcement officials believe the organizer of the scheme was a former military servicemember who was discharged from service in 2025 due to health reasons. He allegedly set up a workshop in a rented warehouse where they simulated the repair of drone systems. According to the investigation, an affiliated commercial entity was used to draw up contracts for the purchase and sale of drones.

During more than 100 searches, law enforcement officers seized computer equipment, documents containing evidence of the scheme, cash, and luxury vehicles.

The suspects in the case have been notified of charges of embezzling military property under martial law and laundering proceeds of crime. They face up to 15 years in prison.

The investigation is ongoing, and law enforcement officials are identifying all those involved in the embezzlement of defense budget funds.

Анна Літман