Ukraine anti-corruption agencies complete probe into 254 million hryvnias drone procurement scheme
Ukraine's NABU and SAPO have finished a pre-trial investigation into an alleged procurement fraud that cost the state 254 million hryvnias through inflated drone contracts awarded by the State Service of Special Communications in 2023. Five suspects — two officials and three private-company representatives — are reviewing the case materials, and over $4 million has been seized abroad.
Key points
- NABU and SAPO completed the pre-trial investigation into alleged abuses during drone procurement for Ukraine's Defense Forces via the State Service of Special Communications.
- Total state losses from the alleged scheme are estimated at 254 million hryvnias.
- Investigators say drones were purchased at prices 60–90% above market rates.
- The scheme involved 400 DJI Mavic 3 drones and 1,300 Autel Evo Max 4T drones; procurement winners were pre-selected, with controlled companies used to simulate competition.
- Proceeds were laundered to accounts of controlled companies, including outside Ukraine.
- Authorities have seized over $4 million in foreign accounts and 17 million hryvnias in Ukraine.
- Five suspects — two State Service of Special Communications officials, two private-company representatives, and one person who effectively controlled the companies — are reviewing the case materials.
Why it matters
The case targets alleged fraud in wartime drone procurement, a politically sensitive area of defense spending that directly affects supplies for Ukraine's Defense Forces. With 254 million hryvnias lost on contracts priced 60–90% above market — and investigators tracing proceeds to accounts abroad, including over $4 million already seized — the investigation signals that wartime procurement remains a focus of Ukraine's anti-corruption drive as the case moves toward trial.
What happened
Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies NABU and SAPO have completed the pre-trial investigation into an alleged scheme that caused 254 million hryvnias in losses through inflated drone procurement contracts handled by the State Service of Special Communications in 2023. According to investigators, the winners of the tenders were pre-selected, and other controlled companies were brought in to create the appearance of competition. In one instance, a commercial-proposal request was sent to a future winner naming a legal entity that had not yet been officially registered. Drones were bought at prices 60–90% above market rates, and the markup was moved to accounts of controlled companies, including abroad. The specific contracts covered 400 DJI Mavic 3 drones and 1,300 Autel Evo Max 4T drones, among other models. Five suspects — two State Service of Special Communications officials, two private-company representatives, and one person who effectively controlled those companies — have been given access to the case materials for review.
Background
In 2023, the State Service of Special Communications was allocated about 30 billion hryvnias for drone purchases for the Defense Forces. The investigation concerns specific drone models including DJI Mavic 3, Autel Evo Max 4T, DJI Mavic 3T, DJI Mavic 3Pro, and DJI Matrice M30T.