Law enforcement officers have uncovered an interregional scheme to appropriate and sell drones transferred to the military as part of the state project «Army of Drones.» According to the investigation, it was organized by the commander of one of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in collusion with two civilians.
Law enforcement officers have uncovered an interregional scheme to appropriate and sell drones transferred to the military as part of the state project «Army of Drones.» According to the investigation, it was organized by the commander of one of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in collusion with two civilians.
This is a systematic illegal write-off of UAVs that were on the balance sheet of military units and were used to perform combat missions. According to the investigation, the scheme operated from November 2024 to March 2026.
Geography — several regions: Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk.
The decommissioned drones were handed over to civilian accomplices, who sold them through online platforms from anonymous accounts. The equipment was stored in private premises and even in postal operator offices.
In total, the misappropriation of more than 343 drones of various types worth more than UAH 15.2 million has been documented.
According to the investigation, the funds received were spent on real estate, cars, and jewelry. Separately, law enforcement officers established that in 2025, the commander acquired assets worth over UAH 10.7 million, registering them in the names of relatives.
During the searches, the following were seized: DJI Matrice 4T and DJI Mavic 4 Pro drones; cash (over UAH 1.4 million); premium cars, including a Toyota Land Cruiser 200 and a Mercedes-Benz; documentation, telephones, and draft notes.
The suspects are charged with misappropriation of military property under martial law (Part 4 of Article 410 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), and the organizer is also charged with illegal enrichment (Article 368-5 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The suspect is currently being held in custody as a preventive measure. The investigation is identifying other possible participants in the scheme.
