A legal adviser to the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UCCI) and her son have been detained on suspicion of extorting a €100,000 bribe from a manufacturer of Ukrainian unmanned systems.
This was reported in an SBU press release.
The investigation found that the suspects demanded a bribe from a representative of a defence company in exchange for preparing expert opinions to avoid penalties.
According to the case materials, in June 2026 a fire broke out at a contractor’s warehouse facilities as a result of a Russian air attack. The emergency at the site threatened the timely fulfillment of a defense order for the production and delivery of combat drones. To confirm the extraordinary circumstances and avoid penalties, the company applied to the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the relevant opinion.
The UCCI legal adviser deliberately delayed consideration of the application. She demanded money from the manufacturing company in exchange for preparing a favourable opinion that was to confirm the impossibility of fulfilling the contract on time.
The official involved her son in the illegal activity as an intermediary to meet with contractors and transfer the bribe.
Law enforcement officers documented the suspects’ crimes in stages and caught the intermediary in the act while he was receiving the second part of the illicit payment in the amount of €50,000. During searches at the suspects’ workplaces and residences, evidence of the unlawful actions was seized.
The UCCI official and her accomplice have now been served with a notice of suspicion under Part 5 of Article 27 and Part 3 of Article 368-3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (bribery of an official of a legal entity under private law, regardless of its organizational and legal form). They have been remanded in custody as a preventive measure.
The investigation is ongoing to bring to justice all individuals involved in the scheme during the execution of the defence order.