Ukrainian authorities said they have uncovered a fraudulent scheme in the demining sector, where suspects falsely claimed to have cleared already demined areas to siphon Hr.6.3 million (about $144,000) from the government.
The State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) said on Thursday that, in May 2025, the suspects won tenders to clear landmines in 122 hectares (301 acres) of farmland in the Kherson region that had already been demined via the EU’s Ukraine Facility instrument.
The two suspects include the director of a private demining operator and the head of a sapper group, according to DBR’s press release.
“In fact, these areas had already been cleared of explosives in 2023-24, and the land was being cultivated by farmers. Despite this, the defendants decided to only simulate the completion of the work in order to receive funds,” the press release says.
The Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office said in a separate press release that the demining company is based in Kyiv, where the collaborators “created a number of controlled enterprises” to bid in the demining tenders.
The DBR said the suspects faked the need for demining by planting “objects resembling ammunition” for inspections, after which false data were entered to fake completion of the demining activities.
“To create the appearance of demining, sappers were sent to the fields to perform demonstration actions: digging up the soil, placing objects resembling ammunition, and ‘discovering’ them during the inspection,” the DBR said.
“After that, certificates of work performed with false data were drawn up, which were signed, among others, by land users.”
The Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office said the farmers involved in the scheme had already been indicted and had provided testimony against the suspects.
Authorities are investigating other demining activities committed by the firm in 600 hectares (1,483 acres) of farmland in the Mykolaiv and Chernihiv regions, where it received over Hr.53.2 million ($1.2 million).
The two suspects have been served with a notice of suspicion – a legal step in Ukraine preceding formal charges – for group conspiracy during martial law and official forgery, which carries a maximum of 12 years in prison and confiscation of property if convicted.