Air Force logistics chief, SBU regional head exposed in bribery case
Law enforcement officers have exposed the logistics commander of the Ukrainian Air Force and the head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) department in the Zhytomyr region for taking a bribe.
Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said this in a post on Telegram, according to Ukrinform.
"Corruption during the construction of aircraft shelters has been uncovered involving the logistics commander of the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the head of an SBU department in one of the country's regions. The officials have been detained," he said.
According to Kravchenko, in May 2025, a decision was made to allocate UAH 1.4 billion for the construction of prefabricated arch-type structures.
Inspections by the SBU's military counterintelligence department revealed serious violations: the projects did not meet safety requirements, the structures did not provide adequate protection for aircraft, and the cost of the work was significantly inflated. Despite this, advance payments under the contracts had already begun.
Kravchenko said that in order to conceal the embezzlement of budget funds and stop the inspections, the Air Force logistics commander approached the head of an SBU regional department with a request to "facilitate" bribing the leadership of military counterintelligence. The latter agreed and acted as a "guarantor" of the arrangement, as he had personally involved one of the contractors in the scheme.
According to investigators, in order to avoid liability and ensure non-interference in the inspection process, the officials proposed transferring about UAH 13 million (1% of the project financing) in exchange for concealing the misappropriation of budget funds. They also planned to involve "loyal" auditors to prepare fictitious conclusions about the quality of construction.
The SBU said on Telegram that as a result of comprehensive measures, the logistics commander of the Air Force Command and the head of the SBU department in the Zhytomyr region were detained.
"We continue the course toward self-purification of the Service and other components of the Defense Forces. This is a critically important area of work, because corruption during wartime can be equated with treason. This is an unacceptable phenomenon that we will continue to eradicate uncompromisingly. Those involved in this crime will be held accountable under the law. I warn anyone considering similar actions in the future: punishment will be inevitable," said Yevhenii Khmara, acting head of the SBU.
The investigation established that the suspects organized a scheme to embezzle state funds during the construction of fortification structures.
Officers of the SBU's internal security unit detained both suspects "red-handed" while they were receiving $320,000. The officials are currently being prepared to receive notices of suspicion under Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (misappropriation, embezzlement of property, or taking possession of it through abuse of office). The measures were carried out under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor General's Office.
Earlier, journalist Andriy Tsaplienko reported that law enforcement officers had exposed the head of the SBU department in the Zhytomyr region for bribery. He is Volodymyr Kompanychenko.
The position of logistics commander of the Air Force Command is held by Colonel Andrii Ukrainets.