In the case involving substandard mines for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a scheme worth ₴21.3 million was uncovered
Officials from the State Bureau of Investigations have uncovered a new instance of illegal activity by the management of a private company that manufactured explosive devices for the Ukrainian Defense Forces. The investigation established that the company evaded taxes when importing components for the production of explosives.
The SBI noted that in early 2026, a criminal organization was dismantled that had embezzled nearly 3 billion hryvnias in budget funds allocated for the procurement of engineering munitions for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
These include anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, on whose quality the safety of Ukrainian military personnel depends.
According to the investigation, the company’s director organized a scheme to evade value-added tax on the import of components used to manufacture explosives. To carry out the scheme, forged documents containing false information about the goods’ specifications were used, allowing them to be cleared through customs without paying the required duties.
As a result of these actions, the state budget lost more than 21.3 million hryvnias in VAT revenue.
The company’s director has been notified of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 212 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—tax evasion on an especially large scale.
In addition, three customs officials have been charged under Part 2 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—official negligence resulting in serious consequences. According to investigators, they failed to ensure proper control during the customs clearance of the goods and allowed them to be imported without paying the required taxes.
Law enforcement officials are currently preparing a motion to the court to impose pretrial measures on the suspects.
The State Bureau of Investigations (DBR) emphasizes that the pre-trial investigation is ongoing. Investigators continue to identify all individuals involved in the supply of substandard ammunition and the infliction of losses on the state.
Earlier, the State Bureau of Investigations determined that the company suspected of supplying substandard mines to the front lines had no experience manufacturing such ammunition and produced only plastic casings, ordering explosives from third-party suppliers.
As a reminder, the SBI detained military personnel for embezzling over 47 million hryvnias worth of FPV drones.
The SBI is also investigating nearly 3,000 cases involving crimes against Ukraine’s national security.
