Ukraine's procuracy suspects former Defense Ministry officials of purchasing low-quality bulletproof vests

The Office of the Prosecutor General reports.

"Under the procedural guidance of the Specialized Defense Prosecutor's Office, a new suspicion was served on the former acting Director of the Department of Public Procurement and Supply of Material Resources of Ukraine's Defense Ministry and the Deputy Minister of Defense," the statement reads.

It is noted that during martial law, the suspects organized the purchase of low-quality bulletproof vests from abroad for more than UAH 250 million allocated from the state budget. All contracts were concluded on a full prepayment basis.

The former officials failed to ensure proper quality control and purchased ammunition at inflated prices.

The suspects forced their subordinates to accept low-quality products at military warehouses. They also organized repeated tests of armor plates that failed the initial tests.

According to expert opinions, these bulletproof vests did not meet the requirements and could not properly protect the military. In total, as a result of the illegal actions of the suspects, certain units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were not properly equipped with personal protective equipment worth more than UAH 1.4 billion.

The suspects are charged with embezzlement and obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Part 5 of Art. 191 and Part 2 of Art. 28, Part 1 of Art. 114-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The suspects are currently in custody.

Note: According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and shall not be subjected to criminal punishment until his or her guilt is proven by law and established by a court verdict of guilty.

• In September, detectives of the Bureau of Economic Security exposed a company that imported military ammunition to Ukraine allegedly for the needs of the Armed Forces, but instead sold helmets and body armor through a network of retail stores.