The Security Service of Ukraine exposed officials for corruption during the construction of aircraft shelters
In May 2025, a decision was made to allocate UAH 1.4 billion for the construction of prefabricated arched structures to shelter aircraft.
Inspections by the SSU's Military Counterintelligence Department found that the projects did not meet safety requirements, the structures did not provide adequate protection for aircraft, and the cost of the work was significantly overestimated. Despite this, advance payments began to be transferred under the contracts.
According to the investigation, in order to conceal the embezzlement of budget funds and stop the inspections, the logistics commander asked the head of the SBU in one of the regions to help bribe the military counterintelligence leadership. The head of the SBU agreed and acted as a guarantor of the agreement, as he personally involved one of the contractors in the scheme.
The investigation believes that in order to avoid responsibility and non-interference in the inspections, the officials offered to transfer about 13 million hryvnias, which is 1 per cent of the funding for the facilities, to conceal the embezzlement of funds. It was also planned to involve loyal auditors to prepare fictitious conclusions on the quality of construction.
On 25 February, during an attempt to transfer the illegal benefit, the participants in the scheme were detained on the spot. Law enforcement officers seized 320,000 US dollars.
The report states that the embezzlement of funds intended for defence during the war poses a direct threat to national security, and that responsibility will be inevitable regardless of position.
