Law enforcers expose the scheme drone theft from the project «Army of drones». The total amount of damage exceeds UAH 15.2 million. A military man and two civilians were involved in the crime.
Scheme of appropriation of drones
According to the Prosecutor General's Office, the commander of a unit of one of the Armed Forces of Ukraine organised a scheme to misappropriate drones together with two civilians. Since November 2024, the military officer has been illegally writing off drones from the defence stockpile. After that, the drones were transferred to civilian accomplices for further sale via the Internet.
In total, the misappropriation of more than 343 drones of various types was documented. The amount of losses is UAH 15,233,439.
Use of funds and qualification of actions
The suspects spent the proceeds of the sale on the purchase of movable and immovable property, as well as jewellery. The actions of the suspects were classified under Part 4 of Art. 410 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (theft, misappropriation of military property on a large scale).
The unit commander was additionally charged with illicit enrichment under Article 368-5 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The court imposed on all three suspects custody as a measure of restraint.
Context.
The Army of Drones project is being implemented to provide the Armed Forces of Ukraine with modern drones. The drones are used for reconnaissance, fire control and combat missions. The PGO does not disclose the name of the military unit and the names of the suspects in the interests of the investigation.
Ukrainian
English
