Former Ukroboronprom official charged with state funds embezzlement

The Khmelnytskyi police charged the ex-director of an enterprise within Ukraine's defense concern Ukroboronprom with embezzling almost Hr 500,000 ($13,500) of budget funds.

According to the pre-trial investigation, the suspect misused the state-owned enterprise's funds during his tenure in 2014.

If convicted, the ex-official may face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property. A preventive measure for the suspect is currently being decided.

This is not the first case when an employee of Ukroboronprom, Ukraine's main defense company, has been accused of wrongdoing.

On Feb. 1, Ukraine's Security Service detained a 48-year-old employee of Ukroboronprom, suspected of collecting data on Ukraine's military for Russia.

The suspect had allegedly collected data on Ukrainian weapons used by the Armed Forces in the east and south and prepared "reports" on the aftermath of Russian missile strikes on Kyiv.

In January, six executives of Ukroboronprom were charged with embezzlement and abuse of power.

According to the investigation, they concluded contracts to purchase low-quality equipment worth about $146,000 for the military in March 2022.