Bohdan Prylepa’s Qmall blocks $500,000 meant for Ukrainian military drones

Half a million dollars are stuck on the cryptocurrency exchange Qmall. The funds, which were supposed to go towards purchasing drones for the Ukrainian military, never reached the front lines. The exchange is linked to entrepreneur Bohdan Prylepa, who currently resides in Dubai and is involved in a criminal case for fraud. Instead of aiding the army, the money disappeared into the digital space, leaving more questions than answers.

More details in the investigation by journalist Maryna Vynnychenko for StopCor.

According to the report, last year a volunteer team received a significant amount thanks to the support of influential donors. They purchased the first batch of drones for $130,000. Each of them was supposed to become the eyes and wings for our defenders.

But when it was time to purchase new drones, the system failed. The funds were stuck on the accounts of the Qmall crypto exchange. Donors could no longer access their wallets, and withdrawal requests remained unanswered.

How the funds were raised and why they were placed on Qmall

Military serviceman Yuriy Dvorachok explains: the funds were not collected in the format of a traditional collection, but through investments and support from friends in the crypto world. They transferred money for the development of the company and the purchase of drones for the units so that they could work more effectively at the front. 

"Well, it’s not like we were collecting; these were investments in our company and the military for the gathering of drones. We worked and provided some units with investment funds or funds sent to us by our friends who work in the crypto world. They did good deeds for us so that we could use these drones to attack the enemy," he says.

According to him, requests from the military were diverse. There are drones for $250, and there are ones for $500. In some cases, cheaper models were ordered, while in others - dozens of more complex and expensive UAVs.

When the question arose of where to store the collected money, the serviceman turned to acquaintances. He himself did not understand crypto exchanges.

"We had a lot of acquaintances. These were our mutual acquaintances who knew both Bohdan and me. So, I asked everyone for advice on where to put these funds. I had never dealt with it, and I didn’t need it. I am a serviceman, at the front line from the first day of the war; there was no time for crypto," Dvorachok explains.

That’s how the funds ended up on the Qmall exchange, associated with Bohdan Prylepa.

Initially, everything went according to plan. For about $130,000, they purchased the first batch of drones and set up production. The money also went to work for the company - people, equipment, processes. But when it was time to withdraw a new sum for purchase, difficulties began.

"I say: we need funds for a new purchase because the first drones have already been assembled. The funds are waiting. And they say: wait, there are some issues. And so it continued from September to December. In December, it became clear: there are serious problems," the serviceman recalls.

Blocking of wallets and first suspicions

When the time came for the next purchase, a problem occurred. People simply could not access their accounts on the exchange. Access to the wallets was restricted. Withdrawal requests went unanswered.

Yuriy Dvorachok says he initially received general explanations. Later, troubling messages began arriving from partners and donors. "Wait," said some. "There are some issues," others informed. In December, everyone understood: the issues became serious.

According to Dvorachok, at this time information about the contacts of the exchange owner emerged. It concerns Bohdan Prylepa and his partners. Sources reported connections with representatives of the Russian environment. This further complicated the situation with the blocking of funds.

Due to the lack of access, volunteers did not manage to withdraw the money in time. The funds intended for a new batch of drones remained on the platform. For the military, this was a real blow. Trust between the team and the donor community was undermined.

The editorial team received the first evidence of how exactly the accounts were being blocked. When legal actions did not start on time, the exchange could still not return these funds. Such cases, experts say, happen often. But for those who collected money for drones, this is no longer a procedure. It’s a story that has signs of fraud.

Photos, connections, and resonant names

The editorial office obtained photographs that further fueled suspicions. In them - the founder of the exchange Bohdan Prylepa in the company of Chechen "bloggers" and athletes from the "Akhmat" club. In particular, next to him is a fighter of the club Rustam Kerimov.

The greatest resonance was caused by other shots. In them, Prylepa poses with Sergey Lalakin - a well-known leader of the "Podolsk OCG". This is one of the most influential criminal groups in Russia. Lalakin is associated with the "Sontsevskaya OCG", which, according to The Insider’s investigation, is directly linked to the FSB and the party United Russia".

According to Russian media, it was Lalakin who helped organize the release from the colony of the "thief in law no.1" Shakro Molodoy. This happened last year for "health reasons". In fact, this confirms that we are not talking about a ’retired authority’, but an influential and active player in the criminal world.

Photos with such figures only heightened suspicions about possible money laundering. Questions began to arise in the public space: did the donor money for drones end up in hands connected with the Russian underworld?

Legal assessment: how to recover cryptocurrency

To understand how the mechanism of blocking funds works, we turned to lawyer Andrii Halych. He specializes in international cases in the field of cryptocurrency and heads Prodefence company.

According to him, such cases happen often. "There are a lot of cases where we protect clients. Their cryptocurrency gets blocked without providing any information. We already accompany the client in the legal field, submit requests and unblock funds," explains the lawyer. 

In fact, exchanges may refer to the terms of use and internal documents. They indicate that the funds were frozen due to "violation of conditions". But in most cases, the client does not receive any specific explanations.

"We must understand that the exchange also profits from this. They often block money. And those users who do not seek help practically lose their funds. The exchange simply appropriates them," notes Halych.

According to him, the only way to unblock the cryptocurrency is an official legal request. Lawyers study all clauses of the contract referred to by the exchange and demand reasons for blocking. It is a long and complicated process.

For lawyers, it is a usual case. For a military man who collected money for drones, it’s real fraud. Lost money means disrupted purchases, undermined trust, and a loss of support from donors.

Consequences for volunteers and donor trust

For Yuriy Dvorachok, this situation became not just a problem with crypto but a real blow. He has been fighting since the first days of the full-scale invasion, created DFTG, and worked on providing units with equipment. People trusted him and transferred money, knowing that it would go for drones.

But after the accounts were blocked, everything changed. "I don’t have such connections. I am a military man. I went to some people, then to others. And they tell me: write a statement. This is fraud. Plus, as they say, it’s a spit in the face of the military. People trusted me, and now after this, communication with them has lost normalcy," he says.

The loss of access to funds meant that volunteers could no longer promptly fulfill requests from units. Donor trust was shaken, and communication with charities became significantly more difficult.

Problems with Qmall not only jeopardized a particular collection but also the very idea of using cryptocurrency as a fast and modern tool for helping the army.

Investigation and what’s next

According to our sources in law enforcement agencies, the case around Qmall has entered an active phase. The pre-trial investigation is conducted by the department of particularly serious crimes of the investigative department of the National Police in Kyiv.

The criminal proceedings are open under part 4 of article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - fraud in especially large amounts, committed by an organized group.

At the center of the case is Bohdan Prylepa and structures related to him. He positioned himself as a crypto entrepreneur, co-founder of Prof-IT Blockchain and was publicly associated with exchanges Qmall, Coinsbit, and Tidex, which also operate in the UAE and Lithuania. In Ukraine, the business operated through "QUMALL LLC". This company has already been mentioned in criminal proceedings, particularly under the article on illegal drug trafficking for the purpose of selling.

The owner of "QUMALL LLC" is also Serhiy Hutsu, who came to journalists’ attention due to dubious crypto projects and a scandalous wedding attended by citizens of the Russian Federation.

Investigators now must find out what happened to half a million dollars intended for purchasing drones. The need for technology at the front remains critical. And each day of war without such iron birds costs too much.

What will happen next with Prilepa and his crypto business will be determined by law enforcement agencies. Journalists are watching the development of this case and will further report new details.