The GUR exposed a former Defense Ministry official for supplying defective machine guns to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

A former director of one of the departments of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, along with two leaders of a state enterprise, has been accused of supplying defective machine guns to Ukrainian soldiers.

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).

According to RBK-Ukraine's sources, the case involves former Ministry of Defense official Alexander Liev.

What Happened

According to the investigation, the officials were supposed to deliver 400 certified heavy machine guns to the front in 2022. However, due to the deal, our fighters received cheap substitutes that were unfit for their intended use. Specifically, only half of the promised machine guns were delivered.

Photo: The SBI uncovered the former Ministry of Defense official in the supply of defective machine guns to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (dbr.gov.ua)

"The 200 machine guns purchased at state expense lacked any markings, corresponding technical documentation, or any accompanying documents. During combat use, the weapons could not sustain continuous fire and malfunctioned after the first shots, due to the destruction of parts and mechanisms," the SBI explains.

As a result, the state budget incurred losses exceeding 193 million hryvnias, putting Ukrainian military personnel at risk.

What They Face

The former Ministry of Defense official is suspected of embezzlement of property through abuse of office, committed on a particularly large scale, and obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), leading to severe consequences.

The aforementioned leaders of the state enterprise are suspected of committing similar crimes, as well as service forgery.

The suspects face imprisonment for up to 15 years.

"It should be noted that last year law enforcement already exposed this former official for embezzling nearly 1.5 billion hryvnias in the procurement of ammunition for the AFU. This case is currently under investigation," the SBI adds.

Recall that RBK-Ukraine reported that recently the director of an enterprise from Kryvyi Rih was announced as a suspect for supplying the military with 20,000 low-quality sleeping bags.