The Security Service, with the assistance of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, has exposed organizers of a scheme to supply defective mortar shells to the front lines.

As a result of the operation in Dnipropetrovsk region, the general director of a defense plant and his first deputy were detained for supplying the Armed Forces of Ukraine with a batch of ammunition that was found to be unsuitable for combat use.

In addition to the heads of the state-owned enterprise, the SSU detained the former head of one of the MoD’s military representations and the head of the control group of the relevant department.

In early 2024, the plant’s leadership signed a contract with the Defense Procurement Agency to manufacture ammunition for the AFU Ground Forces.

According to the signed documents, the enterprise was to supply the army with wholesale batches of 120 mortar rounds.

However, the enterprise officials used low-quality materials and performed defective work for the serial production of shells, which led to failure of the main propellant charge primer and unstable operation of the entire powder charge.

The ammunition also included additional propellants that did not meet combat standards.

In this way, the organizers of the scheme tried to reduce production costs to obtain greater profits from the state order.

To operate the scheme, the plant’s leadership involved officials of the military representation, who were responsible for quality control of the defense products.

According to the investigation, the military officials deliberately turned a blind eye to the defective batch of ammunition and entered false information in the reporting documentation.

As a result, 120,000 unusable rounds were sent to the front, which was confirmed by expert findings.

Now, SSU investigators notified the four detainees of suspicion under Articles 28.2, 114-1.2 of the CCU (obstruction of lawful activities of the AFU and other military formations, committed by a group, upon prior conspiracy, which led to serious consequences).

The suspects face up to 15 years in prison.

The operation was carried out under the procedural supervision of the Office of the Prosecutor General.