From March to July 2024, a joint internal audit by the Ministry of Defence and the State Customs Service of Ukraine uncovered risks associated with the potential misuse of humanitarian aid amounting to UAH 171.78 million.

In particular, the State Customs Service reported that customs clearance has been granted to the following items destined for the Armed Forces of Ukraine:

• 424 vehicle

• 476.23 metric tons of various goods without a specified value

• 6.2 metric tons of food and plastic granules

However, the entity could not confirm that the military units had received these items. The Ministry of Defence dispatched relevant notifications to law enforcement agencies for the examination of the lawfulness of specific officials' actions related to illicit enrichment, misappropriation of assets, and abuse of authority. The investigation is still being conducted.

According to Colonel Oleksandr Tytkovskyi, Acting Director of the Internal Audit Department of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, effective interagency cooperation not only facilitates the rapid receipt of critical assistance but also aids in identifying and stopping customs breaches. 

 “We highly appreciate the promptness in letting military and humanitarian aid across the border for the needs of the Armed Forces during martial law. It is our responsibility to ensure that every item of assistance, whether it is a thermal imager or a vehicle, given by volunteers and international partners, gets to our defenders on the front lines. We will continue to improve control and reporting mechanisms to secure transparency and effectiveness in deploying humanitarian aid,” he said.

To reiterate, the Ministry of Defence and the State Customs Service are working together closely to establish effective monitoring systems for delivering humanitarian supplies to military units. This enables the swift sharing of information to confirm the receipt of these items by military units and pinpoint high-risk customs procedures.