Tires for APCs turned into a Mercedes and an apartment: NABU and SAP exposed a large-scale scheme

Eight people have been notified of suspicion, including officials of the National Guard

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21 Jul 2026

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NABU and the SAP announced suspicions against eight individuals who are believed to have been involved in the misappropriation of more than UAH 150 million from the National Guard of Ukraine. Among the suspects are National Guard officials, entrepreneurs, the director of a controlled company, and appraisers.

The uncovering of the scheme on 21 July 2026 was reported by NABU, SAP and the National Guard of Ukraine.

Suspicions were filed against the deputy director of the logistics department of the Main Directorate of the National Guard (NGU), the head of the Central Base of Production and Technological Equipment and his deputy. Also among the suspects are two entrepreneurs who effectively owned a number of private companies, the director of one of the controlled enterprises and two heads of valuation companies whom the investigation considers accomplices.

The actions of the suspects were classified under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. In total, the case concerns three episodes of possible misappropriation of budget funds on a particularly large scale.

According to the investigation, in 2024 the National Guard needed a warehouse facility to store service members’ food supplies. However, the property was not purchased directly from its owners at its real value.

As the anti-corruption bodies claim, NGU officials agreed with the entrepreneurs. At first they registered the required premises under a controlled company, and shortly thereafter resold it to the National Guard at an artificially inflated price.

The difference between the real value of the property and the amount paid by the state exceeded UAH 143 million. To give the scheme the appearance of a legitimate transaction, appraisers were involved, according to the investigation.

NABU and the SAP believe that for a “reward” they prepared false valuation reports. The documents allegedly indicated a pre-agreed inflated value of the warehouse.

The money received from the National Guard, NABU reports, was laundered through companies showing signs of fictitious activity and then distributed among the scheme participants.

The investigation also established another two episodes related to procurements for military units. The same entrepreneurs, in collusion with National Guard officials, allegedly misappropriated an additional more than UAH 7 million.

The funds may have been siphoned off during the purchase of solar power plants for military units and tires for armored personnel carriers. The total amount of losses, NABU says, was confirmed by forensic examinations and specialists from the State Audit Service of Ukraine.

After receiving illegal proceeds, the financial situation of some NGU officials, the investigation alleges, sharply improved. Among the purchased assets named by law enforcement were premium-class cars:

Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 2024 model;
Toyota Land Cruiser 300 2021 model;
Audi Q8 2019 model.

In addition to cars, the suspects may have purchased plots of land for development near Kyiv, a two-level apartment in the capital with an area of more than 130 square meters, and apartments in Bukovel valued at over USD 300,000.

Cars, land plots and real estate have been frozen. Cash seized from the entrepreneurs during investigative actions was also arrested: USD 340,000 and EUR 99,700.

According to the information from the National Guard, the suspected servicemen were suspended from their positions as early as 2025 following the first searches conducted by NABU detectives. The SAP clarified that the suspension took place in May 2025.

The investigation continues. Detectives are establishing possible involvement of other persons in the scheme and are also checking facts related to the legalization of money that may have been obtained through criminal means.

According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, all suspects are presumed innocent until their guilt is proven in accordance with the law and established by a guilty verdict of a court.

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