Law enforcement officers from the State Bureau of Investigation and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) have exposed the commander of a military unit in the Kyiv region. The man is suspected of organizing the theft of food intended for the soldiers entrusted to him.
This was reported by the press service of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).
It is noted that in November last year, law enforcement officers uncovered the theft of food worth over UAH 3 million in one of the military units. At that time, suspicions were raised against the head of the canteen, an instructor, and a driver.
“During the further pre-trial investigation, SBI investigators found out that the organizer of the scheme was its commander. It was he who created the conditions for the systematic theft of food and provided cover for his subordinates,” the report says.
According to the case file, the commander appointed a trusted person as the head of the canteen, who directly organized the theft of food. Later, her daughter was appointed as the head of the food warehouse, which allowed for uncontrolled receipt and issuance of food. Some of it was not used to prepare food for the servicemen.
In addition, on the recommendation of the canteen manager, the commander appointed a canteen instructor. She did not properly control the quantity of products and the compliance of the volumes of prepared dishes with those approved in the menu. The commander also allowed the use of a service minibus for transporting products, including stolen ones. After detecting violations, he did not notify law enforcement, in fact ensuring the smooth functioning of the scheme, the SBI noted.
The investigation found that products were stolen at least twice a month, starting in January 2025. So far, law enforcement has documented five episodes of illegal activity.
The commander was informed of suspicion under Part 5 of Article 27, Part 4 of Article 410 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – theft of military property committed by a group of persons in a prior conspiracy under martial law. He was chosen as a preventive measure – detention with the possibility of posting bail. The sanction of the incriminated article provides for up to 15 years of imprisonment.
Law enforcement officers are identifying all citizens involved in the theft, as well as the exact amount of damage caused to the state. Earlier, the cafeteria manager, instructor, and driver were reported under suspicion under Part 4 of Article 410 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.