The security service states that people at the Ministry of Defense and the arms manufacturer Lviv Arsenal are said to have embezzled the equivalent of SEK 400 million in connection with the arms deal.
“According to the investigation, former and current high-ranking officials at the Ministry of Defense and managers of related companies are involved in the embezzlement,” the security service said, according to Reuters.
According to the SBU, the contract for the arms deal was signed in August 2022. The payment was made in advance with funds transferred to foreign accounts, but no weapons were delivered.
Five people have been served with suspicion of crime. One of the suspects is said to have been detained when the person tried to leave the country.
Previous corruption scandals
Several cases of corruption have been uncovered in Ukraine during the war. A former deputy minister of defense and two defense employees are accused of, among other things, embezzling more than $25 million in connection with the purchase of protective vests.
Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov was forced to resign last September due to various corruption cases under Reznikov’s leadership.
Hear SVT’s foreign reporter explain how corruption can affect Ukraine.