Media investigation uncovers tripled costs of clothing shipment for Ukraine's army
A fresh defense procurement scandal has erupted in Ukraine, with investigative journalists reporting that winter uniforms for Ukrainian troops tripled in price between being ordered and being delivered.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry signed a contract with a Turkish company to supply winter clothing for the military in the fall of 2022, but on the way between customs, the ordered jackets turned from "camouflage" to "winter wind protection" and tripled in price, according to an investigation by news outlet ZN.UA published on Aug. 10.
The journalists claim that they received a package of supporting documents for one of the batches of goods from the Turkish company Vector avia hava araçlari, with which the Ministry of Defense entered into an agreement.
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The documents show that 4,900 jackets (and pants), which are listed in one document as having a total value of $142,000, are later listed at $421,000. The price for "camouflage" jackets rose from $29 per piece to $86 for "winter windproof" jackets.
The publication claims that the Turkish company actually belongs to Ukrainian citizen – Roman Pletnyov from Zaporizhzhya.
The court registry contains information about criminal proceedings concerning these clothing items. The ruling of the Holosiivskyi District Court states that the director of the Turkish company supplied windproof winter jackets and pants that did not meet either the technical specifications or the technical description to the contract. Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise concluded that they could not be used for their intended purpose.
According to the publication, which cited "officers from the customs front of Ukraine," the company imported 233,000 jackets worth $20 million and 202,000 pairs of pants worth $13 million from Turkey to Ukraine in October-December alone.
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Winter clothing that was going to Ukraine under another contract crossed the border in Moldova with documents stating a value of $27,500 per batch, while on border in Ukraine the value was given as $367,500, ZN.UA notes. Moreover, the journalists found jackets from this batch for sale on the classifieds platform OLX.
The journalists claim that the Ministry of Defense also bought helmets for soldiers at a premium. Moreover, the goods, which according to the documents were listed as PASGT helmets made in the United States with a level of protection NIJ IIIA, turned out to be helmets with a lower level of protection - NIJ 2.
In addition, ZN.UA indicates that it has a copy of the contract for the purchase of dry rations last spring. At that time, the Defense Ministry ordered 1 million vegetarian dry rations from Turkey for UAH 430 million ($11.7 million) from the Kyiv-based company Tanos Technology LLC. The original version had a food warmer, but it disappeared, and instead the dry rations were made up of chicken paste.
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The news agency calculated that the added chicken paste, cookies, coffee in stick packages, and disposable tableware accounted for UAH 248 ($6.75). This is more expensive than in stores.
According to ZN.UA, SBU investigators gained access to the dry rations brought by Tanos Technology. It turned out that they were packed in cardboard boxes with the inscription “Recover, Ukraine. We believe in the healing power of love and support” with the Legurme logo. It is known that the products of this brand and its parent company were distributed to charitable organizations.
So far, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has not publicly responded to this investigation.
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
