Photo: Law enforcement officials have uncovered a scheme to steal drones from the "Drone Army"
Law enforcement agencies have dismantled a large-scale interregional network involved in the theft and resale of combat drones intended for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The organizer of the criminal activity turned out to be the commander of a unit in one of the military units, who acted in collaboration with two civilian accomplices.
According to the investigation, from November 2024 to March 2026, the perpetrators systematically misappropriated UAVs that were on the military units’ balance sheets.
This refers to equipment transferred by the state as part of the strategic “Army of Drones” project to carry out missions directly on the front lines.
The scheme spanned the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk regions, posing a threat to defense capabilities in the hottest conflict zones.
After being illegally written off, the drones were transferred to civilian members of the group, who sold the scarce equipment via online platforms using anonymous accounts.
“The investigation also established that the officer significantly improved his financial situation in a short period of time. It was determined that, thanks to these schemes, the officer acquired property worth at least 11 million hryvnias,” the State Bureau of Investigations reported.
In total, the suspects are charged with embezzling 343 drones of various models.
The total value of the stolen property exceeds 15.2 million hryvnias, and the proceeds from the sales were spent on a lavish lifestyle.
Throughout 2025, the battery commander purchased real estate in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, as well as four apartments in a luxury building on the Black Sea coast.
The officer provided housing in Fontanka for all family members, including his parents and his wife’s relatives, and used one of the apartments exclusively for his own leisure.
“He moved his parents and his wife’s parents here; another apartment was for rent, and the fourth was exclusively for the officer and his wife’s vacation,” the State Bureau of Investigation notes.
In addition to real estate, the suspect amassed a significant fleet of luxury vehicles, including an Audi Q7, a Toyota Land Cruiser 200, and premium Mercedes-Benz models.
All assets were registered in the names of close relatives to conceal their true origin and the fact that they significantly exceeded the officer’s official income.
During the searches, law enforcement officers seized a large amount of evidence: DJI Matrice 4T and DJI Mavic 4 Pro quadcopters, certificates, stickers with serial numbers, and significant amounts of cash.
Documents related to real estate and rough notes confirming the scale of the illegal trade were also discovered.
As a reminder, border guards in the Odesa region detained a fugitive on a motorcycle.
The foreign national will be tried for passing on information about the Armed Forces of Ukraine and storing weapons.
Earlier, the Counterintelligence Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine prevented a large-scale explosion in the center of Dnipro by catching a Russian intelligence operative red-handed.
As a reminder, a man was detained in Kyiv for promising “medical exemption” to evade mobilization.
Also, a Russian agent who was plotting the assassination of General Biletsky was detained within the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
