Employees of Luhansk Regional Prosecutor's Office, together with investigators, conducted authorized searches in the Main Directorate and other structural units of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Luhansk region within a case of official negligence that entailed grave consequences during large wildfires in Luhansk region.

The State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) said on its website the investigation found that one of the main causes of the wildfires was the systemic theft of fuel under the leadership of the regional department of the State Emergency Service.

"Almost in every structural unit of this service, at the direction of the management, special technical means to correct vehicles' odometers were purchased. It was with their help that manipulations were systematically carried out with the mileage of special equipment, with the help of which the real mileage of vehicles was overestimated, and fuel was stolen. Thus, proper reserve of fuels and lubricants was not formed by the management of the State Emergency Service, specialized equipment for extinguishing fires in the event of massive wildfires in the region could not go to the fire seats in time, which made it impossible to contain them quickly," the bureau said in the statement.

The SBI said that the corrupt actions of the officials of the State Emergency Service led to the death of people, the destruction of buildings, houses and forests.

In addition, the investigation is studying the circumstances of the organization and activities of the unit for the elimination of the consequences of an emergency, as well as the coordination of the actions of the forces involved in extinguishing the wildfires.

According to the department searches took place on November 17.

According to the press service of Lugansk Regional Prosecutor's Office, during the searches, devices, documentation on the accounting and use of fuels and lubricants and vehicles, as well as on organizing measures to eliminate fires were seized. Within the criminal proceedings, officials are interrogated and a number of forensic examinations are assigned. In addition, the investigation is studying the circumstances of the organization and activities of the unit for the elimination of the consequences of the emergency, as well as the coordination of the actions of the forces involved in extinguishing the fires, the prosecutor's office said.

Luhansk Regional Prosecutor's Office carries out procedural guidance in criminal proceedings on the facts of official negligence, which entailed serious consequences, and the appropriation of someone else's property through abuse of office (Part 2 of Article 367, Part 2 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The pretrial investigation is carried out by investigators of the territorial department of the SBI in Kramatorsk.