Position: Official of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine (SSSCIP).
Area of Corrupt Activity: National Security and Defense.
Region of Corrupt Activity: Nationwide.
Legal Qualification: The actions were qualified under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Status: At liberty.
Case Details: In late October 2025, detectives from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), together with prosecutors from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), uncovered a corruption scheme organized by officials of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine. Two officials and two representatives of private companies were notified of suspicion in connection with the embezzlement of more than UAH 90 million in public funds.
According to media reports, those involved included Volodymyr Mokrenko, Head of the Procurement Department of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine, and SSSCIP official Vadym Borsuk.
Investigators established that, after amendments to the state budget were adopted in 2023, allocating UAH 30 billion for defense needs through the SSSCIP, the head of one of the agency’s departments devised a criminal scheme to misappropriate part of these funds. To implement the plan, officials selected in advance the companies that would win the tenders and ensured that they received favorable conditions. Competition in the tenders was simulated by companies controlled by the same participants.
As a result, between May and September 2023, the SSSCIP purchased 400 DJI Mavic 3 drones and 1,300 Autel Evo Max 4T drones at prices 70–90% above market rates. The proceeds from these transactions were transferred through a series of shell companies and converted into cash.
According to the investigation, these actions caused losses of more than UAH 90 million to the state budget. All those involved in the case are suspected of misappropriating property on an especially large scale (Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
Subsequently, the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) ordered a preventive measure for financial manager Serhii Horbatiuk in the case concerning the alleged embezzlement of UAH 90 million through the SSSCIP’s procurement of DJI Mavic 3 and Autel Evo Max 4T drones for the Defense Forces.
“The motion is partially granted. The preventive measure of detention for a period of 60 days, until December 28, 2025, is imposed on the suspect, Serhii Vasylovych Horbatiuk. The suspect Horbatiuk is to be taken into custody in the courtroom,” the judge announced.
The court also set bail as an alternative to detention at UAH 12.11 million. If bail is posted, Horbatiuk will be required to appear upon first request; notify the authorities of any change of residence and/or employment; not leave the city of Lviv without permission; refrain from communicating with certain individuals; surrender his international passports for safekeeping; and wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.
The HACC press service also reported that another suspect in the case had been remanded in custody. According to media reports, this was Yurii Volian, owner of the Lviv-based company Ex Im Ukraine. His alternative bail was set at UAH 15.14 million.
In November 2025, the High Anti-Corruption Court rejected a motion by NABU detectives to remand Volodymyr Mokrenko, one of the SSSCIP officials implicated in the drone procurement case, in custody. The court instead imposed bail of UAH 12 million and required him to appear before the investigators conducting the pre-trial investigation. Another official, Vadym Borsuk, was ordered to post bail of UAH 5 million.
In August 2026, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office announced new suspicions in the case concerning the embezzlement of funds during the procurement of drones for the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
Four people—two SSSCIP officials and two representatives of private companies—were notified of suspicion. Another individual who allegedly exercised de facto control over these companies was notified of suspicion of aiding and abetting the crime. Their actions were qualified under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
“The actions of the suspects have been classified under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (misappropriation of property through abuse of office on an especially large scale),” the statement said.
In addition, according to SAPO, the amount of damage caused to the state had increased from UAH 90 million to UAH 254 million.
At the same time, the High Anti-Corruption Court imposed bail of UAH 5 million on Liubomyra Kozhushko, owner of Consulting-Bud LLC. She is a newly identified suspect in the case concerning the alleged embezzlement of UAH 90 million through the SSSCIP’s procurement of DJI Mavic 3 and Autel Evo Max 4T drones for the Defense Forces.
Individuals Potentially Involved in Corruption Schemes: Volodymyr Mokrenko, Head of the Procurement Department of the SSSCIP; another SSSCIP official, Vadym Borsuk; and businesspeople Yurii Volian, Serhii Horbatiuk, and Liubomyra Kozhushko.
Assets: In his 2023 asset declaration, Borsuk did not report any real estate. However, he declared a Renault Megane Scenic passenger car purchased that same year.
Borsuk’s income in 2023 amounted to UAH 480,210. He did not declare any monetary assets.
Authorities Responsible for Responding: Law enforcement agencies responded to the corruption scheme in a timely manner by notifying each of its alleged participants of suspicion.
Scandals: Before the corruption scheme came to light, Borsuk had not been publicly linked to any other scandals.
Sources:
- https://www.slovoidilo.ua/2025/10/28/novyna/bezpeka/nabu-sap-vykryly-posadovcziv-derzhspeczzvyazku-pryvlasnenni-90-mln-hrn
- https://www.slovoidilo.ua/2025/10/30/novyna/polityka/vaks-zaareshtuvav-dvox-pidozryuvanyx-spravi-droniv-derzhspeczzvyazku
- https://www.slovoidilo.ua/2026/08/13/novyna/polityka/sprava-droniv-derzhspeczzvyazku-nabu-sap-oholosyly-novi-pidozry-fihurantam
- https://www.slovoidilo.ua/2026/08/31/novyna/polityka/vaks-vyznachyv-zastavu-novij-pidozryuvanij-spravi-droniv-derzhspeczzvyazku
- https://www.slovoidilo.ua/2026/10/20/novyna/polityka/nabu-zavershylo-rozsliduvaty-spravu-derzhspeczzvyazku-pro-drony
- https://www.obozrevatel.com/ukr/section-sobyitiya/news-rezydentsiya-putina-staye-krytychno-vrazlyvoyu-tudy-mozhe-zaletity-navit-dron-intervyu-z-hetmanom-30-10-2026.html
- https://hromadske.ua/kryminal/254225-sprava-roztraty-na-dronakh-dvom-posadovtsiam-derzspetszviazku-obraly-zapobizni-zakhody
- https://public.nazk.gov.ua/documents/9359cb35-be76-4ec5-aab7-5d531d207362