Anti-corruption authorities in Ukraine announced on Saturday that they have uncovered an extensive corruption scheme related to government contracts for the procurement of military drones and signal jamming systems at artificially inflated prices.
In a statement released through social media, authorities revealed that the case involves an active member of parliament, two local officials, and an unspecified number of National Guard members, with four individuals already in custody. According to NABU and SAPO, the criminal network operated by securing contracts with suppliers at inflated prices, earning kickbacks of up to 30% of each contract’s value.
The scandal came to light just two days after Ukraine’s parliament voted to restore full independence to the country’s anti-corruption investigators and prosecutors, NABU and SAPO. The restoration of their independence was deemed necessary following massive protests that erupted over a previous decision to place them under the prosecutor general’s control, triggering the largest demonstrations in the country since the Russian invasion began in 2022.
Zelensky’s political reversal under pressure
According to Reuters, Volodymyr Zelensky, who holds broad wartime powers and still maintains public support, was forced into a rare political reversal. His decision to place the two agencies under prosecutor general control sparked the first nationwide social unrest during wartime. Under mounting public pressure, Zelensky stated that he “heard the people’s anger” and personally submitted legislation to parliament restoring the agencies’ independence, which was passed on Thursday.
This decision was welcomed by Ukraine’s European partners, who had already expressed serious concerns about the impact of the initial intervention on the country’s EU accession process. Top European officials had warned Zelensky that weakening NABU and SAPO could seriously undermine Ukraine’s prospects for European Union membership.
Following a Saturday meeting with the heads of both agencies, who briefed him on the investigation’s progress, Zelensky reiterated his commitment to fighting corruption. “It is important that anti-corruption institutions operate independently, and the law passed on Thursday provides them with every opportunity for a real fight against corruption,” he stated.
