According to the investigation, in July 2023, a 74-year-old resident of Kyiv and his 59-year-old accomplice posed as the leaders of a weapons manufacturing company. They convinced an American volunteer from the Armed Forces of Ukraine that they could create a "laser device" that "blinds" or even knocks down drones and missiles.

To make their claim more convincing, the men showed a device that allegedly burned a wing of a Shahed drone from a few meters away. After that, the military transferred them parts of over 3.2 million UAH (equivalent to about 85,000 USD).

In reality, the suspects had neither the technology nor the intention to produce anything. Therefore, the promised "cutting-edge weapon" was never received by the military.

Prosecutors of the Obolon District Prosecutor's Office in Kyiv have charged two men with fraud committed by a group of individuals under martial law (Part 5 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The victim in the case is a U.S. citizen of Ukrainian descent, a volunteer, and the founder of a military training school. He has been voluntarily serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine since the first days of the full-scale invasion. During the investigation, he has already been reimbursed 20,000 USD, and efforts are ongoing to recover the entire amount.

The investigation is being conducted by investigators of the Obolon District Police Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Kyiv, with operational support from the Security Service of Ukraine in Kyiv and the region.

Earlier, another organizer of the scheme, who profited from volunteers and military personnel, was returned to Ukraine through an extradition procedure conducted under the guidance of the Office of the Prosecutor General.

Note: According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in a lawful manner and established by a court verdict.