Vinnytsia resident punished for attempting to smuggle FPV drone detector into Moldova

Attempt to bypass customs control

On 15 August 2026 at 01:00, Vinnytsia resident Volodymyr Kryukovets arrived at the "Mohyliv-Podilskyi – Otats" border crossing point in a Volkswagen car. The man attempted to cross the border from Ukraine to Moldova, choosing the "green corridor" for this purpose. This choice implies that the traveller declares, by their actions, that they have no cargo requiring special permits or subject to restrictions.

Find in the trunk

During the customs inspection, officers found an electronic reconnaissance device in the luggage compartment among personal belongings – an FPV drone video signal detector "Vidun 8.2", manufactured by the Ukrainian company Babai. Kryukovets did not provide any documents from the State Export Control confirming the right to export this equipment.

Legal qualification of the violation

The court instance emphasised that such technical means are officially classified as military goods (position ML5a of the relevant list). Their export is subject to strict state control. Therefore, the actions of the citizen who chose the "green corridor" were qualified as failure to declare goods subject to legal prohibitions and restrictions.

Court decision

On 2 November 2026, the Vinnytsia City Court examined case No. 127/36822/26 and found Volodymyr Kryukovets guilty under Part 3 of Article 471 of the Customs Code of Ukraine. He was sentenced to a fine of 300 non-taxable minimums of citizens' income (5,100 UAH). In addition, the "Vidun 8.2" device itself was subject to confiscation.

Additionally, the offender was charged 665.60 UAH in court fees and 17.62 UAH for the storage of the seized property.