SBU Exposes Dealers Who Financed ‘DPR’ Militants for more than UAH 50M

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) exposed a large-scale scheme to finance the terrorist organisation “DPR.” The scheme operated before the beginning of the full-scale invasion and replenished the “budget” of the militants for a total amount of more than 50 million in hryvnia.

As a result of comprehensive measures in Vinnytsia and Zhytomyr, the organisers of the scheme were exposed. The malefactors established the mining equipment supply from the temporarily occupied Donetsk region to Ukraine-controlled territory. Such “trade turnover” provided regular income to the “budget” of the terrorist organisation “DPR” in the form of “taxes” and “fees.” In the future, this money was directed to the logistical support for militants on the eastern front.

To circumvent the ban on trade with the temporarily seized enterprises of the Donetsk region, the dealers created a network of fictitious commercial structures in the Zhytomyr region and Russia. Transactions were made through sanctioned financial institutions of the aggressor country.

So far, SBI investigators have served three scheme organisers with notices of charges under Part 2 of Art. 258-5 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (financing terrorism). The director and chief accountant of a Zhytomyr private enterprise are among the suspects. An investigation is ongoing to establish the crime’s circumstances and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Proposals on the imposition of sanctions on Russian companies involved in the scheme are planned to be submitted for consideration by the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine.

Natalia Tolub