Senior defense official to face trial over overpriced fuel contracts

Source: State Bureau of Investigation

On Thursday, the State Bureau of Investigations, DBR,  revealed it has filed charges against a former high-ranking official at Ukraine’s defense ministry citing his negligence that led to staggering financial losses.

According to the DBR, the former senior officials  is accused of mishandling purchases of fuel and lubricants for the military that. The contracts were allegedly overpiced as they included VAT that cost the state extra 1.2 billion hryvnias. The suspect faces up to eight years behind bars if convicted.

While the official’s name has not been disclosed publicly, sources close to the investigation suggest that the individual in question is Bogdan Khmelnytskyi, who at the time headed Ministry of Defense’s procurement department.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General office has added another layer to the charges, accusing Khmelnytskyi of embezzling over 1.7 billion hryvnias of state funds and attempts to ‘hinder the operations’ of Ukrainian troops by  procuring substandard body armor at inflated prices.

Five armored vehicles “Kozak” have received a new mission – thanks to the support of Metinvest, they have been upgraded to full-fledged command and staff vehicles. These upgraded vehicles are now operating on the front line.

A kamikaze drone flies directly toward an armored personnel carrier. But instead of penetrating the hull, it explodes on a steel screen. The crew survives. This is the new reality for Ukrainian forces, who have received enhanced protection thanks to the Metinvest project within “Steel Front of Rinat Akhmetov”.

To commemorate the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion, “Bukvy” has compiled data on the largest donors supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Among them there are charitable foundations and businesses. The list includes, in particular, foundations that provide assistance exclusively from their own resources, without fundraising (such as SCM by Rinat Akhmetov, Epicenter, etc.).

In just 1.5 months, Ukrainian specialists have created an innovative protective shell for the control modules of anti-aircraft missile systems (AMS) Patriot and Iris-T SLM. This development was another step in strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities, aimed at protecting key elements of the air defense system from debris damage.

Military serviceman of the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine with the call sign “Paradox” is the crew commander of the American M113 armored personnel carrier. He is a master at using it and is constantly improving, because the legionnaire’s skills are tested every day in battle. You have to drive to the front lines, often under artillery fire and drone attacks.