Police uncover combat pay embezzlement scheme in Kirovohrad region

Law enforcement officers in the Kirovohrad region have uncovered a scheme to embezzle more than UAH 620,000 in one of the military units.

According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the Kropyvnytskyi Specialized Defense Prosecutor's Office of the Southern Region on Facebook.

"…A former commander of a technical support platoon and three servicemen have been notified of suspicion. They are accused of abuse of office, as well as organizing and aiding the evasion of military service by servicemen through deception, committed by an organized group under martial law," the statement said.

According to the investigation, the scheme was organized by one of the servicemen, who involved the platoon commander and two other fellow servicemen in the illegal activity. The platoon commander submitted reports containing false information stating that the subordinates were allegedly on duty and performing combat missions. Based on these documents, they were paid their regular salaries and additional "combat pay."

The participants then divided the money among themselves.

Prosecutors say that from September 2023 to March 2025, the members of the scheme illegally received more than UAH 620,000.

The court chose a preventive measure for the organizer of the scheme and another suspect in the form of detention with the possibility of bail set at UAH 200,000. Two other suspects were placed under personal obligation.

As Ukrinform previously reported, officers of the State Bureau of Investigation exposed and stopped a group that organized a scheme to evade mobilization and embezzle budget funds at one of Kyiv's state universities.

The first photo is illustrative: Freepik