Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov said General Khromov, a deputy head of the Russian main artillery directorate, and his assistant General Znakhurko had been dismissed after spending 70 million rubles ($2.48 million) of budget money on a deal with a company that was incapable of handling the contract.
"The businessmen neither had the right equipment nor the production capabilities need to make the bullet-proof vest," Ustinov said. "Needless to say, the vests produced by the company were useless and were easily shot through by bullets from a Makarov pistol."
The prosecutor also criticized Defense Ministry officials, who he said had failed to raise the issue of firing the generals and even tried to block a court ruling to do so.