Ukrainian law enforcement officers exposed a large-scale scheme of embezzling military drones, which, after changing markings, were resold to the Armed Forces of Ukraine as new equipment. In the case, 16 persons were notified of suspicion, and the value of the stolen property is estimated at approximately 16 million hryvnias.
Acting Prosecutor General Anton Kovalsky reported the results of the investigation on October 28. Details were also released by the Security Service of Ukraine.
According to the investigation, the organizer of the scheme was a former serviceman who was discharged from service in 2025 for health reasons. He involved active military personnel, civilian intermediaries, and commercial enterprises in illegal activities.
The scheme effectively involved reselling the army its own property. Members of the group found servicemen willing to transfer drones from military units for a reward. To find such people, they used, among other things, a specially created Telegram channel.
According to the SBU, two officials of the Armed Forces of Ukraine registered the drones as lost during combat operations, after which they handed them over to the organizer of the scheme.
The obtained equipment was delivered to an underground workshop in Dnipropetrovsk region. There, workers changed serial numbers, factory markings, and QR codes. Subsequently, through commercial structures associated with the organizers, the drones were sold again to military units at prices of new products.
The SBU also established cases when, after receiving drones unfit for combat use, they were again written off and handed over to scheme participants for another resale.
In total, law enforcement officers documented 25 episodes and seized over 600 drones. According to Kovalsky, more than 200 of them have already been identified as property of military units. The origin of the remaining equipment is being checked.
To expose the scheme, law enforcement officers conducted over 100 searches in nine regions of Ukraine and Kyiv. In addition to drones, they seized:
- 13 million hryvnias in cash;
- 400 thousand US dollars;
- gold, silver, and jewelry;
- 15 cars.
The court imposed pre-trial restrictions on all 16 suspects in the form of detention with the possibility of bail.
According to the SBU, the persons involved are charged with embezzlement of military property under martial law and legalization of property obtained by criminal means. Depending on their role and established circumstances, they may face up to 15 years of imprisonment.
Prosecutors, investigators of the State Bureau of Investigation, internal security units of the State Border Guard Service and the National Police, as well as military counterintelligence of the SBU are involved in the investigation.
Investigators continue to establish the origin of the seized drones, possible additional episodes of illegal sale, and the full circle of persons involved. Separately, they are checking which military units might have received previously appropriated equipment again.
Based on materials: Anton Kovalsky, SBU
