In the Kharkiv region, law enforcement officers detained a battery commander suspected of organizing the sale of drones that were to be transferred to the front. This includes, in particular, the Vampire and Mavic drones. According to the investigation, the scheme operated in several regions at once, including Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions. This was reported on April 1 in State Bureau of Investigation and Prosecutor General’s Office.
“Some of the equipment was registered as unaccounted for or as having been allegedly lost during hostilities. As a result, the drones did not actually reach the units for which they were purchased. The attacker sold the complexes mainly to volunteers who were trying to provide the army with their own money. That is, the equipment that was supposed to be transferred to the front directly was resold to those who help the military,” — the SBI reported.
The commander was detained at the moment of receiving 50 thousand dollars for implementation of the drone party.
According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the interregional scheme was organized by the commander together with two civilian accomplices. The drones that were sold were obtained within the framework of the “Army of Drones” project.
The investigation also established that in a short time the officer significantly improved his financial situation.
“During the searches alone, over 1 million 500 thousand UAH in cash was seized, as well as drone components, documentation and certificates. It was established that thanks to such fraud, the officer acquired property worth at least 11 million UAH. Thus, he and his family acquired houses in Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, four apartments on the Black Sea coast near the village of Fontanka, as well as commercial real estate in the Odessa region,” the SBI said in a statement.
In particular, the officer, according to the investigation, purchased apartments in an elite building in Fontanka on the Black Sea coast for all family members. His parents and his wife’s parents settled there, another apartment was planned to be rented out, and the fourth was used exclusively for the officer himself and his wife to relax. According to the investigation, he went there practically every weekend. He and his wife also often visited local restaurants.
At the same time, according to law enforcement officers, even while on vacation in Odessa, he continued to trade in drones. In addition, according to the investigation, the officer also purchased a fleet of luxury vehicles: Audi Q7, two Toyota Land Cruiser 200, two MERCEDES-BENZ premium cars, as well as a DAF truck with a semi-trailer.
“In total, the appropriation of more than 343 UAVs of various types worth UAH 15,233,439 has been documented,” — the Prosecutor General’s Office noted.
The commander has already been notified of suspicion of illicit enrichment. The court has chosen for him a preventive measure in the form of detention with the right to post bail in the amount of UAH 10 million. The sanction of the article provides for up to 10 years in prison. Currently, the identification of all individuals who may be involved in this scheme is ongoing, and information about other possible episodes of the officer’s criminal activity is also being verified.
