The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has eliminated schemes for embezzling funds for the food of the Ukrainian military for more than 119 million hryvnias.
The SBU reported this on February 3.
Officials of one of the departments of the Ministry of Defense concluded agreements with the heads of two companies for the supply of wholesale batches of products to military deployment locations. Budget money was transferred to the accounts of enterprises that did not even have a production base and technological equipment. Instead of supplying products to the Armed Forces, the participants of the scheme diverted funds to the shadows through a number of related companies. The heads of the companies were informed of the suspicions, the investigation is ongoing, and the involvement of Ministry of Defense officials in the scheme is being established.
In addition, in Kyiv region, the SBU exposed the commander of one of the military units for embezzling almost 2.4 million hryvnias, which was allocated for food for personnel. The man involved four of his subordinates and businessmen in the scheme.
On February 2, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) detained businessmen who sold eggs to the military at 17 hryvnias per piece. 5 people are involved in the scheme: representatives of supplier companies and military personnel who are responsible for providing one of the military units.
- On January 21, ZN.ua journalists accused the Ministry of Defense of purchasing food products at several times inflated prices. The article stated that prices for products are three times higher than retail prices in Kyiv supermarkets (eggs are 17 hryvnias per piece). The agreement worth 13.16 billion hryvnias was concluded on December 23, 2022. It is about providing food to military units stationed in Poltava, Sumy, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv and Cherkasy regions.
- On January 23, the Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov personally responded to these criticisms, in particular, he explained that the Ministry of Defense does not buy individual products, but a complex service — food supply. The Minister explained that the prices of the eight suppliers are different, as well as in supermarket chains, because each one has its own specialization and own production of a certain group of goods. Product prices are analyzed by special expert institutions.
- On January 24, it became known that the Deputy Minister of Defense Vyacheslav Shapovalov, who was responsible for the rear support of the Armed Forces, resigned. Subsequently, the Minister of Defense Reznikov announced changes in the nutrition of the Armed Forces of Ukraine — it is about a flexible but unified menu system.