In the Donetsk region, the State Bureau of Investigation detained a serviceman suspected of illegal arms trafficking. During a search of his home, in addition to ammunition and explosives, a large stockpile of drones and batteries was found.
In the Donetsk region, the State Bureau of Investigation detained a serviceman suspected of illegal arms trafficking. During a search of his home, in addition to ammunition and explosives, a large stockpile of drones and batteries was found.
According to the State Bureau of Investigation, the suspect is a platoon commander of one of the military units deployed in the region. The investigation believes that in November 2025, he found a «client» through a messenger and exchanged an illegally purchased portable anti-aircraft missile system for a drone, in order to then resell it. And in January 2026, the suspect tried to sell two more machine guns for UAH 175,000, but he was detained during an attempt to sell.
A key detail of the case for investigators is the scale of the seized property. According to the State Bureau of Investigation, 549 drones, 277 batteries for them, and other special equipment were found at the military man’s residence. They also seized more than 80 kg of explosives, almost 2,500 electric detonators, a laptop, a mobile phone, and $74,000.
The military man was charged under Part 1 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine with carrying, purchasing and selling firearms and ammunition without a permit, the sanction of the article provides for up to 7 years of imprisonment. The State Bureau of Investigation adds that they are currently establishing the origin of the seized drones, weapons and ammunition, in particular, they are checking the version of possible theft from a unit or registration as allegedly lost during hostilities. The procedural management is carried out by the specialized prosecutor’s office in the field of defense of the Eastern region.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how investigators from the State Bureau of Investigation uncovered a large-scale scheme for illegally obtaining pensions from the Ukrainian budget for persons living in temporarily occupied territories.
