Ukraine’s Defense Ministry denied a recent report from Ukrainian media that it buys food for the military at prices much higher than in stores.
Ukrainian news outlet ZN.UA reported on Jan. 21 that the Defense Ministry purchases food for the military at prices between two and three times higher than those at Kyiv grocery stores.
The article refers to a Hr 13.16 billion ($358.2 million) contract signed on Dec. 23 for food deliveries to Ukrainian soldiers stationed in Poltava, Sumy, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, and Cherkasy oblasts.
According to the report, the Defense Ministry agreed to pay Hr 17 for one egg, of which the average price in a store in the capital is about Hr 7.
The ministry claims the reports have "signs of deliberate manipulation and misleading,” but did not provide further details.
The Defense Ministry said it wants the Security Service to investigate the “false information that harms the interests of our defense” during martial law.
An internal investigation is ongoing, the ministry said.
