SBI is investigating new losses in Hrynkevychʼs case of UAH 150 million from the sale of bulletproof vests and helmets

The SBI investigators have uncovered new facts in Hrynkevychʼs case regarding state losses of UAH 150 million, and are also checking the connections of the court representative with the familyʼs defense team.

The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) stated this to the Interfax-Ukraine agency.

Investigators have established that companies associated with Lviv businessman Ihor Hrynkevych and his son Roman supplied the Armed Forces of Ukraine with bulletproof vests and helmets at inflated prices. The stateʼs losses amount to almost UAH 150 million.

SBI reported that new decisions in this case are expected to be made in the near future. Separately, the bureau is investigating possible connections between the judge involved in the case and the Hrynkevychsʼ defense.

The State Bureau of Investigation believes that their acquaintance through work in one of the regions could have affected the speed and objectivity of the case.

Hrynkevychʼs case

In 2023, the State Bureau of Investigation launched an investigation into the fact of transactions with the purchase of clothing and underwear for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Companies of Lviv businessman Ihor Hrynkevych won 23 tenders for the supply of clothing to the Ministry of Defense for more than UAH 1.5 billion.

According to the expert report, the supplied clothing was of low quality and could not be used for its intended purpose. As a result, the state suffered losses of UAH 1.167 billion.

In late December 2023, the businessman tried to give a $500 000 bribe to an investigator of the State Bureau of Investigation — and was detained at that time. Now the Ministry of Defense has terminated all contracts with Hrynkevychʼs companies, and the court has seized the property of his family and companies controlled by him.

Hrynkevychʼs son Roman is also a defendant in the case of a deal to purchase clothing for the army. He tried to leave the country and was detained on January 22, 2024 in Odessa. In April 2024, the Pechersky District Court of Kyiv seized Romanʼs Czech real estate — a house and land in Prague.

In November 2025, the former director of one of the departments of the Ministry of Defense Maksym Hrytsenko was reported on suspicion of abuse of power. The investigation believes that he reduced the fine for Ihor Hrynkevych by UAH 93.5 million.

On January 16, 2025, law enforcement officers completed the pre-trial investigation and submitted the Hrynkevych cases to the court. These materials are currently under consideration by the court.

Hrynkevychs have been in custody all this time, but the court is gradually reducing the amount of bail, in particular, over two years the amount of bail for Roman Hrynkevych has decreased from UAH 500 million to UAH 30 million and UAH 288 000.

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