Ukraine State Border Guard Official Accused of Accepting $1 Million Bribe

A senior official at Ukraine's State Border Guard Service is under investigation for allegedly accepting a $1 million bribe to smooth out the supply of drones. The money was demanded by a competitor in a tender process and would have accounted for around 5-10% of the contract value.

The official, who was dismissed from their position in early 2026, is accused of laundering over UAH 15.4 million (approximately $450,000) into cryptocurrency, specifically Tether (USDT). A portion of these assets was converted to cash and used to purchase a Mercedes-Benz GLC 300, registered in the official's wife's name.

The investigation revealed that another company had initially won the tender by offering to supply 270 unmanned aerial systems for UAH 760 million. However, a competitor expected to win due to arrangements with State Border Guard Service officials and asked another participant not to lower their price.