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Lviv Oblast Governor orders investigation of tactical first aid kits gone missing

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Lviv Oblast Governor orders investigation of tactical first aid kits gone missing
Lviv Oblast Governor Maksym Kozytskyi during the Ukrainian Israeli Rehabilitation Summit on May 30, 2023, in Lviv, Ukraine. (Photo: Stanislav Ivanov /Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Lviv Oblast Governor Maksym Kozytskyi announced on July 27 that he had asked law enforcement to examine the disappearance of close to a million dollars in volunteer-donated military supplies for Ukrainian soldiers.

Earlier on July 25, the Lviv-based investigative group NGL Media reported that Hr 33.6 million ($910,000) worth of tactical first aid kits, purchased and sent by U.S. volunteers to the Ukrainian military, had disappeared in Lviv.

The group noted the possible involvement of the Lviv Oblast Military Administration and local charitable foundations in the case.

Kozytskyi said that he appealed to the Lviv Oblast Prosecutor's Office and local law enforcement to investigate the information uncovered by NGL Media.

"If the facts presented by the journalists are confirmed, then the guilty should be brought to justice," the governor wrote on Telegram.

"Everyone should be aware of the consequences of their actions. Especially in wartime."

However, he noted that is not yet clear whether the first aid kits had even entered Ukraine's territory.

According to NGL Media's investigation, U.S. volunteers were approached in the fall of 2022 by people claiming connections with the Lviv Oblast Military Administration and local charity foundations to facilitate the transport of aid from the U.S. to Lviv.

The aid, which totaled around $1.1 million, also included gas masks, winter uniform shoes, and sleeping bags, but it was the first aid kits, the most valuable part of the cargo, that did not reach their destination.

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Martin Fornusek

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Martin Fornusek is a reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in international and regional politics, history, and disinformation. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, with a focus on analyzing developments related to Ukraine and Russia. His career in journalism began in 2021 after graduating from Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, earning a Master's degree in Conflict and Democracy Studies. Martin has been invited to speak on Times Radio, France 24, Czech Television, and Radio Free Europe. He speaks English, Czech, and Ukrainian.

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