Court to hear case over 14 million hryvnia purchase of defective protection gear for State Emergency Service

Indictment sent to court

Prosecutors of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Prosecutor's Office have completed the pre-trial investigation and sent an indictment to court against an official of the regional department of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. The official is suspected of abusing their position during the procurement process for the needs of rescuers.

Order for 1,730 sets

According to the materials of the criminal proceedings, in 2022 the purchase of 1,730 sets of radiological, chemical and biological protection equipment was organised. Over 14 million hryvnia was allocated from the state budget for the implementation of this contract.

Product non-compliance with standards

The investigation established that the supplied equipment did not meet current requirements. In particular, the glass in the protective suits did not comply with the norms of the State Standard of Ukraine (DSTU), and the seams lacked the necessary strength.

Actions of the procurement committee head

According to the investigators' version, the accused, who headed the procurement committee, was aware that the supplier had not provided documents confirming the product's compliance with established norms. Despite this, the official did not initiate a check of the equipment's protective properties and put the supplier company's proposal to a committee vote.

After the procurement was approved, the department head signed the contract, and subsequently, over 14 million hryvnia was transferred from the state budget to the companies. The investigation qualifies this amount as damages caused to the state.

Procedural actions and qualification

In February 2026, two officials were notified of suspicion. Meanwhile, materials regarding the former head of the brigade were separated into a separate criminal proceeding.

The actions of the official, whose indictment has been sent to court, were qualified under Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. To ensure possible recovery of damages, a seizure was placed on the accused's property for a total amount of 2.3 million hryvnia.

In accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered innocent until their guilt is proven in court and established by a guilty verdict.