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Ukraine is investigating the theft of $40 million that was supposed to be used to buy weapons

2024-01-28 17:10:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Ukraine is investigating the theft of $40 million that was supposed to be used

Employees of a Ukrainian arms firm colluded with defense ministry officials to embezzle almost $40 million earmarked to buy 100,000 mortar shells for the war with Russia, Ukraine's security service said.

Kiev said late Saturday that five individuals had been charged and another arrested while trying to cross the Ukrainian border. If found guilty, they face up to 12 years in prison.

The investigation comes as Kiev tries to crack down on corruption in a bid to speed up membership in the European Union and NATO. Officials from both blocs have called for deep anti-corruption reforms before Kiev becomes part of the Euro-Atlantic community.

Mr Volodymyr Zelenskyy was elected president of Ukraine in 2019 after campaigning against corruption, before Russia began full-scale aggression in February 2022.

Both the president and his aides have cited recent firings of top officials, particularly that of Ivan Bakanov, the former head of the State Security Service, in July 2022 as evidence of efforts to crack down on corruption.

Security officials say the current investigation dates back to August 2022, when officials signed a contract for artillery shells worth 1.5 billion hryvnias ($39.6 million) with arms firm Lviv Arsenal.

After receiving the payment, the company's employees were supposed to transfer the funds to a business registered abroad, which would then ship the ammunition to Ukraine.

However, the shells were not sent and the money was transferred to various accounts in Ukraine and the Balkans, investigators said. The Prosecutor General of Ukraine says that the funds have been seized and will be returned to the country's defense budget./ VOA





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