The Western Air-Defense Command sold about 150 tons of fuel. Gen. Vladimir Tolubko, the head of a military academy in Kharkov, transferred 2 million karbovantsy to his personal bank account. Still, last October's Black Sea Fleet scandal overshadowed all of these incidents. Ten officers were arrested when a year's supply of fuel was discovered missing. Because they are paid so poorly, nearly every soldier is forced to become a merchant.
Soldiers sell gas, spare parts, uniforms, food, and of course, weapons.
Police found a grenade launcher in a Kiev apartment. They learned that it was stolen from a military depot. Although criminals sometimes attack guards and steal weapons, more commonly they make deals with the guards at military depots. More and more explosions can be heard in Ukrainian cities as warring criminal clans put to use the materiel they have bought from the military. While apathy is the appropriate word to describe the mood in the barracks, things are a bit livelier in the officers' quarters.