Five military personnel have been brought to trial for arms trafficking in Odesa

The State Bureau of Investigations has referred to court the case of five military personnel who sold weapons found on the front lines. The "merchandise" was first transported to Odesa and then sold throughout the country.

This was reported by the State Bureau of Investigations. 

The defendants face up to 15 years in prison.

According to law enforcement, the detainees discovered caches of weapons, explosives, and ammunition in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions. They were required to report these findings to their command for inventory and official record-keeping. Instead, the soldiers concealed the weapons for the purpose of reselling them.

Weapons, including grenade launchers, were sent by mail to Odesa, while large shipments were delivered in person. An evacuation vehicle intended for transporting wounded soldiers was used for the transport. 

The participants in the scheme were detained in March 2026 during another weapons shipment. The shipment, valued at 17,000 U.S. dollars, included machine guns, rounds, and grenades of various types, as well as assault rifles and ammunition of various calibers.

Previously, residents of Mykolaiv and Kherson had attempted to sell captured weapons that had been illegally removed from the combat zone. The detainees were notified of charges under several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, including illegal handling of weapons, illegal handling of weapons committed by a group of persons acting in concert, and the theft of military property under martial law.

Юлія Калабайда