Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) have exposed an MP, the head of a district military administration, the head of a city military administration, as well as National Guard officers, in a scheme involving the procurement of UAVs and electronic warfare systems at inflated prices.
According to Ukrinform, NABU reported this on Telegram.
“Today, a series of measures were carried out to expose individuals involved in committing a corruption-related crime. Among those caught taking bribes are a sitting member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the heads of a district military administration and a city military administration, and servicemen of the National Guard. The scheme involved signing state contracts with supplier companies at knowingly inflated prices — up to 30% of the contract amount was returned to the members of the group as unlawful benefit,” the statement said.
NABU noted that four individuals have already been detained, and further details will be published on the official channels of NABU and SAPO.
NABU and SAPO emphasized that their actions remain strictly within the bounds of the legal authority granted to them by current legislation.
“We are focusing our efforts and resources on achieving swift and fair court decisions. It is important to note that this operation was made possible by Law No. 4560-IX, signed by the President of Ukraine, which removed a number of barriers to the work of anti-corruption bodies and strengthened their ability to operate in sensitive state investigations,” NABU stated.
They added that this operation demonstrates how institutional support and high-level cooperation can drive real change, and expressed gratitude to the president for supporting the independent anti-corruption infrastructure.
According to NABU’s Telegram post, the organized criminal group included a member of parliament of the ninth convocation, the former head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration and now the head of a district military administration, the head of a city military administration, the commander of a National Guard unit, the beneficial owner of a company, and the director of a UAV supplier company.
Investigators found that during 2024-2025, members of the group established a systematic scheme to misappropriate budget funds allocated by local authorities for Ukraine’s Defense Forces, and to offer and receive bribes on a particularly large scale.
One of the schemes involved signing a state contract for the supply of electronic warfare systems. In exchange for signing the contract at a knowingly inflated price, the members of the group received a kickback amounting to 30% of the contract value.
A similar mechanism was used in the procurement of FPV drones. A military unit signed a contract worth almost UAH 10 million with a company whose goods were overpriced by around $80,000. Once the contract was fulfilled, company officials paid a portion of the money back to the group as a kickback.
NABU stated that the issue of notifying the four detained individuals of suspicion is currently being decided. The preliminary legal classification includes Part 5 of Article 191 (misappropriation, embezzlement, or seizure of property through abuse of office) and Part 4 of Article 368 (acceptance of undue benefit by an official) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Photo credit: NABU
Source: MP, officials caught taking bribes – NABU reveals details
