653 batches of military humanitarian aid disappear in Ukraine

Since the beginning of 2023, the State Customs Service has detected 653 cases of missing goods that passed through customs as humanitarian aid to the military.

Source: State Customs Service of Ukraine

Details: The disappearance of the cargo was discovered during joint inspections by the State Customs Service and the Ministry of Defence to ensure that military units and enlistment offices received the goods that were transported across the customs border to them as humanitarian aid.

Quote: "During January-May 2023, 653 cases of non-confirmation of receipt of such goods as plates for body armour, night vision devices, thermal imagers, drones, vehicles, etc. were identified."

More details: In total, more than 5,000 cases of humanitarian aid being shipped to about 100 military units were checked.

The State Customs Service has also stated that the mechanism of humanitarian aid to the military is increasingly being abused.

Quote: "For five months of 2023, the State Customs Service drew up 115 protocols on violations of customs rules, where the subjects of offences were goods imported into the customs territory of Ukraine as humanitarian aid."

More details: For comparison, throughout 2022, the customs offices of the State Customs Service drew up 100 similar protocols on violations of customs rules.

Background:

• In March 2022, the government equated helmets and bulletproof vests with humanitarian aid. When importing them, only one declaration is required. No other documents or permits are required.
• The government has also simplified the importation of such items as plates for body armour, portable radios for non-civilian use, UAVs and quadcopters for non-civilian use, binoculars, optical tubes and monoculars for non-civilian use, collimators and optical sights for non-civilian use, as well as thermal imagers and night vision devices. 

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