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Transcript/Script((PLAYBOOK SLUG: Ukraine Russia (TV)
HEADLINE: Ukraine Claims to Uncover Massive Military Fraud
TEASER: Ukraine’s state security apparatus says it uncovered about $40M in arms transactions where money moved but no weapons exchanged hands
PUBLISHED AT: 1/28/2024 at
BYLINE: Arash Arabasadi
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Washington
VIDEOGRAPHER: REUTERS/ State Emergency Service of Ukraine/ Fontanka.ru/ Russian Investigative Committee/ Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation
SCRIPT EDITORS: Pagesv
VIDEO SOURCE (S): REUTERS/ State Emergency Service of Ukraine/ Fontanka.ru/ Russian Investigative Committee/ Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation
PLATFORMS (mark with X):
TRT: 1:55
NOTE: PART GRAPHIC IMAGES; VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED; PART NO OBSCURE LOGO
VID APPROVED BY: sv
TYPE: TVPKG
UPDATE: ))
((INTRO)) [[Ukrainian officials say they uncovered massive military fraud in a scheme that saw tens of millions of dollars exchanged for weapons that never materialized. The discovery follows the downing of a Russian plane said to be carrying Ukrainian POWs. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has this story.]]
((MANDATORY GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING/SLATE INSERTED IN WEB VERSION))
((VAR, ARTILLERY TEAM, NEAR BAKHMUT, UKR, REUTERS, 01/25))
((NARRATOR))
Soldiers holding defensive positions near the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut fire artillery rounds after last year’s counteroffensive failed to pierce heavily fortified Russian positions in the south and east of Ukraine.
They say the one thing they always need is more ammunition.
It is against this backdrop that the Security Service of Ukraine, or SBU, announced it charged five people with embezzling some 40 million dollars meant to buy 100-thousand mortar shells. The money changed hands. The weapons never came.
Rooting-out corruption was and remains a key pillar in Ukraine’s bid to join NATO and the EU, with officials from both groups demanding Kyiv address internal fraud.
((VAR, DRONE DAMAGE, ODESA, UKR, REUTERS, 01/24))
((mandatory cg State Emergency Service of Ukraine))
((NARRATOR))
Meanwhile, the Kremlin continues striking Ukrainian targets like residential buildings and civilian infrastructure.
((VAR, COURTROOM, ST. PETERSBURG, RUS, REUTERS, 01/25))
((NARRATOR))
But it was in Saint Petersburg just days ago that a court convicted Darya Trepova for a terror attack on Russian soil in April 2023.
((CCTV EXPLOSION, ST. PETERSBURG, REUTERS, 04/02/2023))
((mandatory cg Fontanka.ru))
((VAR, EXPLOSION AFTERMATH, REUTERS, 04/02/2023))
((mandatory cg Russian Investigative Committee)) [Should this cg be: Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation??]
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((NARRATOR))
Trepova was charged with delivering an explosive device to a pro-war Russian blogger as he gave a talk at a local café. She called it all a set up — saying she thought she was delivering a listening device and not a bomb that could have also killed her.
She was sentenced to 27 years.
((VAR, POWs BOARDING PLANE, UNKNOWN LOC, REUTERS, 01/26))
((mandatory cg Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation))
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((NARRATOR))
All this comes as wartime officials disputed each other’s accounts of the downing of a Russian military plane said to be carrying 74 people – including 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers – en route to a supposed-prisoner swap for Russian POWs.
((VAR, SUPPOSED CRASH SITE, BELGOROD REGION, RUS, REUTERS, 01/25))
((mandatory cg Russian Investigative Committee)) [Should this cg be: Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation??]
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((NARRATOR))
Moscow has provided little evidence to back its claims that Ukraine shot down the jet or that captured soldiers were onboard. Ukraine says Russia is so far blocking an international investigation while Kyiv neither confirms nor denies involvement in the crash.
Arash Arabasadi, VOA News.
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
Washington D. C.
Embargo DateJanuary 28, 2024 16:16 EST
Byline
Arash Arabasadi, VOA News
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
