403
Sorry!!
Error! We're sorry, but the page you were looking for doesn't exist.
Some Ukrainian officials get arrested for big corruption scandal
(MENAFN) Several senior Ukrainian officials have been arrested in a major corruption scandal involving military procurement, according to statements released on Saturday by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). The suspects are accused of taking up to 30% in kickbacks from contracts for drones and electronic warfare systems purchased for the Ukrainian army.
Ukrainian media have identified three of the four individuals detained as Aleksey Kuznetsov, a member of parliament from President Vladimir Zelensky’s Servant of the People party, former Lugansk Governor Sergey Gayday, and Rubezhansky district head Andrey Yurchenko. Investigators allege that between 2024 and 2025, these officials devised a scheme to systematically siphon off funds allocated by local governments for defense purposes.
One part of the alleged scheme involved awarding an overpriced contract for electronic warfare equipment, with the group illegally pocketing 30% of the contract’s total value. In another case, a contract for FPV drones worth $240,000 was allegedly inflated by \$80,000, with a portion of that money reportedly handed back to the suspects as bribes.
President Zelensky responded to the revelations by meeting with the heads of NABU and SAPO and thanking them for their work. He described the conduct uncovered as “absolutely immoral.” The arrests follow a recent political controversy in which Zelensky attempted to reduce the independence of anti-corruption agencies, a move that sparked street protests and ultimately forced him to sign a bill protecting their autonomy. The timing of the arrests is likely to intensify scrutiny of Ukraine's efforts to maintain transparency and accountability during wartime.
Ukrainian media have identified three of the four individuals detained as Aleksey Kuznetsov, a member of parliament from President Vladimir Zelensky’s Servant of the People party, former Lugansk Governor Sergey Gayday, and Rubezhansky district head Andrey Yurchenko. Investigators allege that between 2024 and 2025, these officials devised a scheme to systematically siphon off funds allocated by local governments for defense purposes.
One part of the alleged scheme involved awarding an overpriced contract for electronic warfare equipment, with the group illegally pocketing 30% of the contract’s total value. In another case, a contract for FPV drones worth $240,000 was allegedly inflated by \$80,000, with a portion of that money reportedly handed back to the suspects as bribes.
President Zelensky responded to the revelations by meeting with the heads of NABU and SAPO and thanking them for their work. He described the conduct uncovered as “absolutely immoral.” The arrests follow a recent political controversy in which Zelensky attempted to reduce the independence of anti-corruption agencies, a move that sparked street protests and ultimately forced him to sign a bill protecting their autonomy. The timing of the arrests is likely to intensify scrutiny of Ukraine's efforts to maintain transparency and accountability during wartime.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Most popular stories
More Story
Comments
No comment