$3 mln was illegally assigned for repairs of Ukrainian sub

28.09.2010 Ukrainian and Russian bureaucrats illegally spent $3 mln for repairs of the only Ukraine's submarine Zaporizhzhia, reports Rosbalt referring to press-service of Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

According to the press-service, administration of a Ukrainian state enterprise along with a foreign state unitary enterprise illegally obtained budgetary funds assigned for repairs of Ukrainian submarine Zaporizhzhia. The violation of law lies in the fact that appropriation of money was not licensed by Ukrainian Ministry of Industrial Policy. As for the press service, the criminal action was disclosed by the Economic Crime Commission.

Consequently, Ukraine sustained a loss of $3 mln. Procuracy initiated a criminal case based on misconduct of economic and bank operations.

We recall that in 2009 the submarine was repaired at 13th ship repair plant (Russia's Black Sea Fleet).

As was previously reported by Rosbalt, officers of the only Ukrainian submarine Zaporizhzhia started trainings as crewmembers of Russian BSF submarine Alrosa.

Zaporizhzhia is a Project 641 diesel electric submarine. She was built in Leningrad; launched on May 29, 1970. Trough 20 years of service in Soviet Navy, the sub has conducted 14 long-range cruises, including visits to Havana (1971) and Tunis (1977) during combat patrols. When separation of Soviet Black Sea Fleet in 1997 between Russia and Ukraine, B-435 was handed over to Ukraine and renamed into U01 Zaporizhzhia, in the name of a region rendering patronage assistance. As of 2010, the submarine is under repairs. In Jan 2010 batteries were installed; assembly works on sonar, radar, and comm systems were also in progress.