Military counterintelligence of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), together with the National Police and with the support of the commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, has foiled an attempt to sell one of the largest batches of explosives on the black market since the start of the full-scale war, the SBU said.
"As a result of preemptive action in Kharkiv region, a commander of a unit within a mechanized brigade of Ukraine's Armed Forces was detained while attempting to illegally sell nearly 500 kg of TNT," the SBU said on Telegram on Friday.
The investigation found that the service member sought potential buyers through relevant Telegram channels and offered to personally deliver the "product" to clients in a service vehicle.
"SBU officers caught the suspect red-handed near a military unit in Chuhuiv district while he was selling the explosives," the agency said.
Investigators established that the suspect had stored the TNT in hideouts he had prepared in advance in a frontline area of the region, where his unit was temporarily deployed.
According to the SBU, the entire batch of explosives prepared for sale was seized from the suspect at the scene of his detention, along with a smartphone containing evidence of his contacts with clients.
The detainee has been notified of suspicion under Part 1, Article 263 of Ukraine's Criminal Code (illegal handling of weapons, ammunition or explosives).
The suspect is in custody.
Investigative actions are continuing to establish all the circumstances of the crime and identify everyone involved.
The operation was carried out under the procedural guidance of the Kharkiv Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Defense in the Eastern Region.
