"A 340 million scheme: SRO purchased substandard bulletproof vests from a company linked to a colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine"

"A 340 million scheme: SRO purchased substandard bulletproof vests from a company linked to a colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine"

The Security Service of Ukraine uncovered a large-scale embezzlement scheme in the field of defense procurement related to the State Enterprise "State Rear Operator" of the Ministry of Defence and the company LLC "AK-Investprom".

This is stated in the materials of the criminal case.

According to the investigation, in 2024 the state enterprise signed two major contracts with "AK-Investprom" for an amount exceeding 340 million UAH. One provided for the supply of 5 thousand combat helmets for 36.6 million UAH, the other for 10 thousand "Defender-84" modular bulletproof vests for 307 million UAH (all amounts excluding VAT).

However, the supplied personal protective equipment did not meet state standards, specifically DSTU 8782:2018, and were found unfit for combat use. In particular, the Bulgarian-made MARS Armor bulletproof vests, which were imported into Ukraine, did not meet the characteristics stated in the contract.

The investigation established that the supplier company colluded with representatives of the "SRO" to win tenders without competition. At the same time, the firm received advance payments but did not ensure the proper quality of products.

In addition, "AK-Investprom" was involved in a scheme to legalize state funds through fictitious companies: "Capital Finance", "Synergy Finance", "Grandfin", "Carmel Market", and others. Through them, funds were converted into cash and withdrawn into the shadow economy.

LLC "AK-Investprom" was registered in April 2024 in Kyiv at 6 Giedroyc Street, shortly before the first contracts were signed. The director is a retired colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Petro Nedzelsky — a combat veteran, former head of intelligence of the 92nd brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, ex-employee of the Main Intelligence Directorate, and a frequent guest on television broadcasts.

The owner of the company is listed as a US citizen, Craig Christopher Reinertson from Virginia. Despite the scale of the scheme, no person has yet been notified of suspicion.