"The employees of the State Bureau of Investigation reported suspicions against the former commander of one of the territorial defense brigades and his three subordinates, who facilitated the receipt of over 922,000 UAH in additional compensation for the commander's wife. [...] The issue of choosing preventive measures for the suspects is currently being addressed," the statement reads.
According to the investigation, in July 2023, the official "arranged for his wife to be employed in the brigade he led as a shooter, in order to secure her increased payments."
"To formally comply with the law, the spouses even divorced, but remained in a familial relationship," the State Bureau of Investigation emphasized.
The investigation revealed that the commander involved two commanders of subordinate units who created documents about the alleged participation of the woman in combat operations along the contact line.
"From July 2023 to April 2024, she unlawfully received over 922,000 UAH in additional compensation. Throughout this time, she served alongside her husband and engaged in horse breeding at a specialized farm. The woman even managed to spend two weeks in Poland, leaving the military unit without permission," the bureau's release stated.
In total, suspicions have been announced under three articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: misappropriation of someone else's property through abuse of office by a group of individuals in especially large amounts, official forgery, and desertion from a military unit (the suspicion was directed at the ex-commander's wife).
According to information from the State Bureau of Investigation, the Territorial Defense unit in question is located in the Zaporizhzhia region.