Ukraine: sixteen suspects in military drone theft investigation
Ukrainian police reported sixteen arrests on 28 October in an investigation into military drones allegedly written off improperly and then resold. Hundreds of aircraft were found during almost a hundred searches.
According to the National Police, the group bought drones from service personnel who had them removed from military inventories as lost or destroyed. The aircraft were repaired and modified in workshops. False serial numbers, QR labels and altered software allegedly made the products appear new.
Investigators say the equipment was then offered to service personnel, military units, wholesalers and intermediaries. Companies were allegedly created to conceal its origin and launder proceeds. The sixteen detainees, including service personnel, were formally notified of suspicion concerning the diversion of military equipment and money laundering.
Police describe two operational phases involving almost a hundred searches in eight regions. More than six hundred drones and other unmanned aircraft, complete or partially assembled, and components were seized. Investigators also found around thirteen million hryvnias, 400,000 dollars and 10,000 euros, alongside vehicles and gold and silver bars. Police, the border service and the State Bureau of Investigation cooperated; enquiries into other participants continue.









































