Construction of fortifications in the Sumy region — the director of one of the companies is suspected of embezzling over UAH 1 million

In the Sumy region, law enforcement officers reported suspicions to the director of a company from the Rivne region — according to the investigation, he appropriated more than UAH 1.1 million, which were intended for the construction of fortifications in the Sumy region.

This was reported by the Specialized Prosecutorʼs Office (SAP) for Defense of the Central Region and the Sumy Region Police.

As the investigation established, during 2024, the suspect concluded a number of contracts with the capital construction department of the Sumy Regional Military Administration for the construction of fortifications in the border areas of the Sumy region. They were financed from the reserve fund of the state budget of Ukraine. In particular, the funds were allocated within the framework of programs coordinated by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

The company director concluded subcontracting agreements with a controlled enterprise at an inflated price. Then he entered false data into the documents about the work performed — he forged executive documentation with fictitious volumes and prices. This way he managed to receive more than UAH 1.1 million from the state budget reserve fund.

The defendant is suspected of taking someone elseʼs property on a particularly large scale through abuse of office during martial law. The sanction of the article provides for up to 12 years of imprisonment. The issue of a preventive measure for the suspect is currently being decided.

• On November 24, 2023, the Ministry of Defense created a group to monitor the construction of fortifications in Ukraine. Its task is to respond to problems, coordinate the efforts of government and military authorities in this matter, and implement reform.
• On December 30, 2023, the government adopted a new approach to the construction of fortifications and expanded the list of state bodies that can procure goods, works, and services for the construction of defense structures — previously, this function was performed by regional military administrations. Now, in addition to them, the Ministry of Defense, the State Special Transport Service, and the State Agency for Infrastructure Restoration and Development will act as customers.

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