Italian chess sets, Apple Watches, crystal tableware: some General Staff purchases raise questions in media

In the second year of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been purchasing expensive Italian chess sets, Apple Watches, icons and crystal tableware sets as gifts.

Source: Slidstvo.info, citing data from the Prozorro electronic trading system

Details: In 2023, the General Staff’s finance department made a total of 116 purchases of various goods and services worth almost UAH 10 million (about US$268,000).

The General Staff made two purchases of icons in 2023. The first was in June when, according to the contract, the General Staff paid entrepreneur Nelia Ilchenko UAH 36,500 (about US$1,000) for three silver-plated icons: St George the Victorious, the Burning Bush and St Nicholas.

The second time, four icons were purchased from entrepreneur Oleh Rubnikovych for UAH 48,400 (about US$1,300).

These were icons of a Guardian Angel, St George the Victorious, the Mother of God of the Seven Arrows and the Mother of God of Kazan, painted on a copper base with silver plating, gilding and cold enamel.

The General Staff also ordered an icon of the Mother of God of Kazan costing UAH 13,400 (about US$360) which was made in the Troitske workshop. A similar icon is listed on the workshop’s website priced at UAH 2,900 (about US$78).

The General Staff also bought five icons from Nelia Ilchenko for UAH 35,900 (about US$960) at the end of 2022.

In addition to the icons, Oleh Rubnikovych also sold the General Staff chess sets costing UAH 39,400 (about US$1,060): some expensive Italian-made Roman-themed chess pieces and two different Napoleon sets.

The General Staff also spent UAH 68,800 (about US$1,850) on 10 sets of crystal tableware this year.

During the year, the General Staff organised 20 different procurements of watches to be presented as awards, spending a total UAH 3.9 million (about US$104,800) on this, including UAH 1.1 million (about US$29,500) on smartwatches. For example, on 30 June 2023, the General Staff bought 21 Apple Watches for UAH 290,000 (about US$7,800).

The Slidstvo.info reporters called Iryna Tarhonska, a member of the tender committee of the General Staff’s finance department, to ask why the General Staff needed to buy expensive chess and tableware, but they got  no answer.

Slidstvo.info is currently awaiting a response to its official enquiries to the General Staff requesting an explanation as to why the military purchased these gifts and who they were for.

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