Illegal payments totaling millions were uncovered: 13 officials from the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been charged.

Law enforcement officials have uncovered 13 officials from the Armed Forces of Ukraine across nine regions of Ukraine. They are suspected of unlawfully issuing payments to military personnel.

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing the National Police.

In Odesa region, the acting assistant commander of a military unit for financial and economic affairs unlawfully issued over 545,000 hryvnias to four individuals who had left the unit without permission. The deputy chief of staff of another military unit received an unjustified 670,000 hryvnias based on forged documents.

In Cherkasy region, the commander of a military unit signed an order to pay bonuses to 91 servicemen who did not participate in combat operations. The total amount of unlawfully issued funds reached 5 million 945 thousand hryvnias.

A similar situation was recorded in Chernihiv region, where the chief of staff of a military unit additionally rewarded servicemen with 412,500 hryvnias.

The commander and the unit commander of a platoon in Ternopil region issued and paid over one million hryvnias to servicemen who, according to orders, were in the combat zone but were actually at their place of residence.

In Dnipropetrovsk region, another suspect emerged—a former regional military commissioner who unlawfully issued over one million hryvnias to individuals who were not actually serving in the military.

The brigade commander in Khmelnytskyi region paid five fighters 30 thousand hryvnias each for supposedly participating in combat operations while they were repairing his house and those of his relatives. Additionally, they were engaged in illegal extraction of limestone and building stone for construction work using special military equipment. The total damage amounted to over one million hryvnias.

In Transcarpathia, a military unit employee was uncovered. The woman claimed to be on duty at a specific location and received over 250 thousand hryvnias.

In Lviv region, a battalion commander unlawfully paid nearly 370 thousand hryvnias, while in Rivne region, a company commander issued 740 thousand hryvnias to military personnel.

The National Police noted that all individuals involved have been notified of their suspicions. Depending on their role and participation in the illegal activities, their actions have been qualified as follows:

• Part 2 of Article 367 (official negligence);
• Part 4 of Article 425 (negligent attitude towards military service);
• Part 2 of Article 364 (abuse of power or official position);
• Part 4 of Article 409 (evasion of military service by self-harm or other means);
• Part 4 of Article 191 (embezzlement, misappropriation of property, or acquisition through abuse of official position);
• Parts 3, 4 of Article 190 (fraud);
• Part 1 of Article 366 (official forgery) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The police added that the issue of choosing a preventive measure for the suspects is still being resolved.

Photo: Police announced suspicions against 13 officials of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (npu.gov.ua)

It should be noted that recently law enforcement officials uncovered two officials from the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a former director of a private company. They entered into contracts for the purchase of spare parts for armored vehicles, causing damage to the state amounting to 83 million hryvnias.

Additionally, RBK-Ukraine reported that the State Bureau of Investigation uncovered a former brigade commander of the Territorial Defense Forces who unlawfully issued "combat" payments to his wife.