As part of the investigation of the criminal proceedings into the fact of embezzlement of funds allocated for the construction of a wall on the Ukrainian-Russian state border (the so-called 'Wall' project), the circle of suspects may expand, Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) Artem Sytnyk has said.

"The investigation continues... I will not rule out the appearance of new suspects," Sytnyk said during a press conference in Kyiv on Thursday.

He also said that there will be more detentions in this case.

The investigation into the embezzlement of public funds during implementation of the Wall project has been conducted since March 2016, the NABU said. According to investigators, the criminal activities resulted in over UAH 16 million in losses to the state.

On August 8, detectives from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) detained six people as part of a criminal inquiry into a misuse of the funds allocated to equip Ukraine's joint border with Russia (Wall project), according to the NABU official website. "To clarify the circumstances surrounding the crime, NABU detectives and prosecutors from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office are conducting investigative procedures (searches) in Kyiv, Kyiv region, Chernihiv and Kharkiv. Concurrently, they are assessing the evidence gathered and deciding the question of subsequent detainments," the NABU said.

On August 9, seven individuals involved in embezzling funds earmarked for the Wall project were issued notices of suspicions.

Officials belonging to Ukraine's State Border Guard Service are suspected of committing criminal acts, which caused considerable losses to the state. NABU said the head of directorate of construction for the border service is suspected of committing crimes pursuant to Part 5 of Article 191 (seizure of other people's property on a particularly large scale through using official position), and Part 2 of Article 210 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (embezzlement of budget funds in especially large amounts or by prior arrangement by a group of individuals).

NABU said the detained individuals are currently being held in pretrial confinement facilities. NABU detectives are preparing motions for hearings at Kyiv's Solomiansky District Court, which will determine pretrial confinement and/or bail amounts.