Russian defense contractor charged with embezzling billions of rubles by supplying makeshift body armor to the military

Russia’s Investigative Committee has launched a criminal case into the alleged embezzlement of 2.4 billion rubles (about $29.8 million) from the Defense Ministry linked to the supply of substandard body armor to the military, Kommersant reported on July 31.

According to investigators, Deputy Defense Minister Alexey Krivoruchko signed a contract in November 2022 with the company GK Piket for the delivery of 30,000 bulletproof vests. Unable to secure suppliers for that quantity, the company opted to manufacture the vests itself, purchasing fabric covers and armor plates.

However, the company allegedly failed to include Kevlar inserts, which are essential for protection against shrapnel. Instead, investigators say company executives obtained falsified documents claiming that another firm had produced the vests — including the required anti-fragmentation components — for more than one billion rubles (about $12.4 million).

The Investigative Committee believes the suspects were aware of the potential consequences. “If someone comes back from the front with these vests, we’ll be held responsible,” participants in the scheme allegedly said.

According to case materials, GK Piket misled military officials, who signed off on delivery and acceptance documents. However, the vests raised concerns during tests at the state-owned military research and production institute TsNIITochMash, and most were ultimately not delivered to troops, the Investigative Committee said.

The defendants in the case are Piket CEO and founder Andrey Esipov, along with financial director Viktoria Antonova and security head Mikhail Kalchenko. All three have pleaded guilty, and their cases will be heard in special proceedings. Investigators are continuing to examine several other individuals suspected of bribing military officials to approve equipment that failed to meet contract specifications.