Former Ukrainian defense officials charged for embezzling almost $25M

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Multiple former officials of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry on Monday were accused of embezzling 948 million Ukrainian hryvnia ($24.7 million) through the purchase of low-quality bulletproof vests.

A statement by the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's office said the officials have been charged with “embezzlement of property and obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations."

Local reports suggested the suspects included Vyacheslav Shapovalov, former deputy defense minister, and Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, the head of the ministry’s state procurement department.

“According to the investigation, during the period of martial law, the suspects purchased 50,000 bulletproof vests for the needs of the Armed Forces, which, due to their quality and characteristics, did not meet the established requirements and could not be used in the army,” the statement added.

It said that protective equipment was purchased from a non-resident company, whose beneficial owners are Russian citizens, adding that two of the suspects are in custody while a search was underway for the third.

A number of Ukrainian officials were either dismissed or resigned in January 2023 as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy began a broad anti-corruption drive.

A crackdown on corruption is crucial if the country is to advance its application to join the 27-member European Union, which opened membership talks with Kyiv last month.

Critics say Ukraine has long suffered endemic corruption, but Russia's “special military operation” is said to have overshadowed the government's efforts to stamp out graft.