A former Ukrainian Defense Ministry official has been indicted and sent to trial for organizing the procurement of 300,000 pairs of tactical gloves valued at approximately $5.2 million that failed to meet the contracted specifications. They could not perform their basic function of protecting soldiers' hands in combat, the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine announced.

300,000 pairs of combat gloves delivered to Ukrainian troops on the frontline that, expert analysis later showed, used ordinary rubber instead of the thermoplastic rubber required by technical specifications and failed cut- and puncture-resistance tests.

The gloves were intended for use in assault operations, casualty evacuation, and work under fire, which are the exact combat environments where hand protection matters most.

How did fraud work? 

According to the investigation, the official organized the procurement after manipulating both the contract documentation and the technical specifications. Investigators found that the requirement for mandatory compliance with Defense Ministry product standards was removed from the procurement documentation. The product's technical characteristics were altered.

Advance payments were approved without proper justification. The combined effect of the acts created the procurement conditions under which the manufacturer substituted cheaper materials and delivered a product that did not meet the original technical requirements.

Accountability process

The former Defense Ministry official was notified of suspicion in August 2025. Following the completion of the SBU's pre-trial investigation, the indictment has now been transferred to the court.

The case is one of multiple Ukrainian defense-procurement fraud prosecutions that have progressed through the system since 2024, when Ukrainian authorities began aggressive prosecutions of procurement officials over the delivery of substandard military equipment to frontline troops.

Earlier, a medic in a Ukrainian mechanized battalion based in Donetsk Oblast was charged with stealing 16 FPV drones manufactured by Ukrainian defense-tech company General Cherry. He also tried to sell these drones, worth approximately $12,600, for $2,370, the Eastern Region Specialized Defense Prosecutor's Office said.

The heaviest fighting is taking place in the Pokrovsk sector in Donetsk Oblast, the Oleksandrivka sector, which lies at the junction of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk regions, and the Huliaipole sector in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the commander-in-chief said.

The number includes 1,330 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Greece’s armed forces will welcome the first women volunteers for military service this week, marking a significant shift in the country’s defense recruitment policy.

The first female volunteers will report for duty on Thursday as part of the Hellenic Army’s 2026 second conscription intake, which began this week and will continue through June 5. They will train at an army base near Lamia, a city in south-central Greece.

Women in Greece join voluntary military service

Under the new program, women aged 20 to 26 can apply for voluntary military service if they meet the required military fitness standards and have no felony convictions.

They will serve for 12 months, under the same duration, obligations, and conditions that apply to male conscripts in Greece.

The initiative opens a new path for women to take part more directly in national defense. In Greece, military service has traditionally remained compulsory for men, while women have not faced the same obligation.

Same benefits for women volunteers in Greece’s armed forces

Female volunteers can also join the selection process for reserve officer training, under the same criteria that apply to male conscripts.

They will gain access to military hospital services and receive additional points in certain public-sector hiring procedures. The state will also recognize their period of service as professional experience, giving the program potential value beyond the military.

Officials have presented the initiative as both a contribution to national defense and an opportunity for women to gain training, experience, and qualifications that could support their future careers.

Greece expands recruitment amid defense reforms

The launch of voluntary military service for women comes as Greece pushes ahead with broader reforms to modernize the armed forces, improve readiness, and strengthen recruitment and retention.

Ahead of the launch, the Hellenic Army General Staff carried out a public information campaign encouraging women to apply. The campaign described voluntary service as a way for women to contribute to Greece’s defense while gaining educational and professional benefits.

The arrival of the first female volunteers marks an important test for Greece’s new model of military participation, as the country seeks to broaden the pool of potential recruits and adapt its armed forces to changing defense needs.