12.05.2025 Money laundering

How did the command of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Border Guard Service, and the National Guard pull off a 23 billion scam?

How did the command of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Border Guard Service and the National Guard pull off a 23 billion dollar scam? Hundreds of millions of dollars of American aid intended for the Armed Forces disappear through fictitious contracts with the Polish gasket company Lechmar Sp. z o.o. Who is behind this scheme? Why did the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Border Guard Service become tools for money withdrawal? And how are the high-profile searches of the National Guard leadership related to this? Let’s analyze in detail below.

550 million dollars through a shell company

During 2024-2025, $550 million of American military aid was withdrawn through the Polish company Lechmar Sp. z o.o. This amount is equivalent to about 23 billion hryvnias, which were supposed to be used to purchase ammunition and equipment for the Armed Forces. However, instead of actual deliveries, the money ended up on the accounts of intermediaries, and Ukraine was left without critical weapons.

At the same time, in February 2025, the Ministry of Defense and the State Border Guard Service decided to transfer another 78 billion hryvnias to Lechmar for the “purchase of ammunition.” No deliveries were made under the previous agreement, but this did not stop the officials.

What is known about Lechmar?

Lechmar Sp. z o.o. – is a classic gasket company that does not have its own production facilities. The company acts only as an intermediary, reselling contracts and not fulfilling obligations.

In 2023, Lechmar had already signed a contract with the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA) for UAH 3 billion, but failed to deliver ammunition. At that time, due to the clear terms of the contract, Ukraine avoided financial losses. However, in 2024, the government decided to repeat the risky deal, giving Lechmar an advance of UAH 23 billion – 100% prepayment, which is contrary to international procurement practices.

Among the co-owners of Lechmar’s Ukrainian representative office are the Yeryomin brothers, one of whom used to work for the SBU and the other for the GUR. They are linked to the head of the State Border Guard Service, Serhiy Deynek, who made the decision to conclude the deal.

In addition, the Lechmar Charitable Foundation has recently appeared in Poland, allegedly collecting off-road vehicles for Ukraine. There is no data on the amount of assistance provided or the transparency of the foundation’s activities, which again raises suspicions about its true purpose.

Why through the State Border Guard Service?

The scheme to withdraw money through Lechmar was carefully planned to avoid public and law enforcement attention.

Procurement through the Defense Procurement Agency of the Ministry of Defense is subject to strict control. In contrast, the State Border Guard Service, which is a structural unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, has no experience in large-scale military procurement, and its contracts are easier to hide from scrutiny.

The Ministry of Defense has already accumulated receivables of 51 billion hryvnias for paid but undelivered weapons. Adding another 23 billion to this debt would be too obvious a scam. Therefore, the money was transferred through the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Border Guard Service to blur responsibility.

According to insiders, the monthly “black cash” of all MIA structures reaches $30 million, or $360 million a year. This allows the MIA to act as a “convenient” intermediary for such schemes.

Searches in the National Guard: what is known?

In parallel with the investigation of the Lechmar scheme, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine is conducting large-scale searches of the National Guard leadership. On May 9, 2025, NABU officers simultaneously conducted searches at the residences and offices of senior NGU officials.

Among the persons targeted by the NABU:

  • Oleksandr Pivnenko – Brigadier General, Commander of the NGU.
  • Serhiy Hrytsenko – Colonel, Director of the Logistics Department of the NGU.
  • Mykola Modlinskyi – Colonel, Deputy Director of the Logistics Department.
  • Oleksandr Kalatinets – Colonel, Deputy Director of the Logistics Department, Head of the Automotive and Armored Vehicle Department.
  • Denys Hanaz – Colonel, Head of the Department of Quarters and Capital Construction.
  • Volodymyr Fedorovskyi – Colonel, Head of the Central Base of Production and Technological Equipment (Kyiv).
  • Oleksandr Bilous – brigadier general, deputy commander of the NGU for logistics, head of logistics.

These individuals are accused of receiving kickbacks worth UAH 190 million. Thus, according to the investigation, these officials may have received illegal benefits for assisting business entities in concluding contracts and recognizing them as winners of tenders. In particular, during the purchase of a Toyota RAV-4 made in 2023 and non-residential premises of 70.7 square meters in Kyiv for the needs of the NGU.

In the second case, the NABU is investigating the possible embezzlement of at least UAH 199 million through the purchase of FV series tracked armored personnel carriers at inflated prices. The scheme was implemented through BP Exim World Defense LLC, which is linked to officials of the NGU and the Central Armored Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Base.

The searches and investigations by law enforcement are ongoing. And while Ukraine is looking for support in the international arena, the looting of public funds continues in the rear. We are launching a detailed investigation of the procurement conducted by the National Guard, as well as the business activities of BP Exim World Defense LLC, Lechmar and other contractors. That is why we urge you to report any information you know.

In the second case, the NABU is investigating the possible embezzlement of at least UAH 199 million through the purchase of FV series tracked armored personnel carriers at inflated prices. The scheme was implemented through BP Exim World Defense LLC, which is linked to officials of the National Guard of Ukraine and the Central Armored Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Base.

Searches and investigations by law enforcement are ongoing. And while Ukraine is looking for support in the international arena, the looting of public funds continues in the rear. We are launching a detailed investigation of the procurement conducted by the National Guard, as well as the business activities of BP Exim World Defense LLC, Lechmar and other contractors. That is why we urge you to report any information you know.

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Let us know about it. We will help protect the violated rights!

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