NABU probes Poltava officials over missing fortification funds
Poltava Regional Administration is suspected of embezzling up to UAH 200 million ($5 mln) during the construction of fortifications in Donetsk Oblast (Photo: Strategic Communications/Telegram)
National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) is probing possible abuses in fortification construction ordered by Poltava Regional Military Administration, the agency's chief Semen Kryvonos told Radio Svoboda on Nov. 18.
He highlighted the investigators are determining whether former head of the Poltava Regional Military Administration, Filip Pronin, was involved.
“Right now, we are establishing the full circle of individuals connected to this crime," Kryvonos said.
"A number of investigative steps have already been carried out, and we’re assessing everyone’s role, including the leadership at that time.”
NABU Chief also noted that the State Financial Monitoring Service — now headed by Pronin — did not assist in investigations into alleged corruption in the defense sector.
According to Kryvonos, at the start of 2025 NABU sent several requests to the financial monitoring service related to defense procurement. However, he said the bureau did not receive any relevant information in response.
“We find the lack of activity in this area extremely suspicious,” he said.
Kryvonos added that he expects the service to cooperate fully in tracking the flow of funds connected to money laundering, including in the Midas case.
He also stressed that the Financial Monitoring Service should have “shown leadership” long ago and offered assistance to investigators.
On Sept. 3, MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak said the Poltava Regional Military Administration is suspected of embezzling up to UAH 200 million (almost $5 mln) during the construction of fortifications in Donetsk Oblast.
According to him, officials may have artificially inflated material costs and processed fictitious services. As a result, many defensive structures remained unfinished and did not meet basic protection standards.
Zheleznyak noted that all 16 construction contracts were awarded to Enki Construction company. Some materials were purchased through an intermediary company, Primum Aktiv, which significantly increased prices. Only on concrete pyramids and timber, the overpricing amounted to at least UAH 50 million ($1.25 million), he said. The total inflated cost may have reached $5 mln.
Acting head of the Poltava Regional Military Administration, Volodymyr Kohut, said that 14 platoon strongpoints and lines of non-explosive engineering barriers were built in Donetsk Oblast. A total of UAH 375 million (about $9.4 million) was spent on the fortification projects.
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