Prosecutor's Office: American AFU volunteer was promised to make "laser weapons" for $85,000

According to the investigation, in July 2023, a 74-year-old Kyiv resident and his 59-year-old accomplice introduced themselves as the heads of a weapons manufacturing company. They convinced an American volunteer from the Armed Forces of Ukraine that they could create a "laser device" that would "blind" or even shoot down drones and missiles.

To convince them, the men showed a device that allegedly burned the wing of a Shahed from several meters away. After that, the soldier handed them over more than UAH 3.2 million (the equivalent of about $85,000) in installments .

Law enforcers noted that the suspects had neither the technology nor the intention to produce anything, so the promised "newest weapon" was never received by the military.

The victim is a US citizen of Ukrainian descent, a volunteer and founder of a military training school. He has been serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces voluntarily since the first days of the full-scale invasion. During the investigation, he has already been reimbursed $20,000, and work is underway to recover the full amount.

Detainees are suspected of fraud committed by a group of people under martial law.