An American was defrauded of UAH 3.2 million: Kyivans traded "laser weapons" to destroy UAVs and missiles

190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — fraud committed by prior conspiracy during martial law. According to the investigation, in July 2023, a 74-year-old resident of Kyiv and his 59-year-old accomplice introduced themselves as managers of a private enterprise allegedly engaged in the production of weapons. They offered an American volunteer to make a laser device for 85 thousand US dollars, claiming that the device is capable of "blinding" enemy drones and even shooting down ballistic missiles.

For persuasiveness, the suspects showed a device that allegedly burned the wing of the Shahed drone from close range. The military transferred more than 3. 2 million hryvnias to the fraudsters in parts, but he never received the promised device. The pre-trial investigation established that the men had neither the intention nor the technical ability to manufacture such a device.

It is worth noting that the victim turned out to be a US citizen of Ukrainian origin, a volunteer and founder of a training school for military personnel in Ukraine, who has been serving in the Armed Forces since the first days of the full-scale invasion. He has already been reimbursed $20,000, and efforts are underway to return the rest of the funds.

The investigation is being conducted by the Obolon Police Department under the procedural guidance of the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office, under the operational support of the SBU. In general, the sanction of Part 5 of Art. 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine provides for five to twelve years of imprisonment with confiscation of property. At the same time, Art. 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine guarantees that a person is considered innocent until proven guilty in court.