Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities have exposed a major graft scheme involving the procurement of military drones and signal jammers at inflated prices. This discovery comes just days after the country’s parliament reinstated the independence of its key anti-graft institutions following widespread public protests. In a joint social media statement, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) announced that several individuals, including a sitting lawmaker, two local officials, and members of the national guard, were implicated in the plot.
Details of the Scheme and Presidential Stance: The investigation revealed that state contracts were intentionally signed with supplier companies at inflated prices, with kickbacks reaching up to 30 percent of the contract value. Four people have been arrested in connection with the case. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has emphasized a zero-tolerance policy on corruption. “There can only be zero tolerance for corruption, clear teamwork to expose corruption and, as a result, a just sentence,” he wrote on Telegram.
Restoration of Anti-Corruption Agencies’ Independence: This exposure follows just two days after Ukraine’s parliament voted to restore the full independence of NABU and SAPO, reversing a previous decision that had attempted to place them under the authority of the prosecutor-general. That earlier move had triggered the largest nationwide protests since the Russian invasion began in 2022. The reinstatement of the anti-corruption bodies’ independence has been praised by Kyiv’s Western allies, who had warned that undermining these institutions could jeopardize Ukraine’s path to EU membership.
