Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies say they uncovered a major bribery scheme involving inflated military procurement contracts, just two days after lawmakers restored the agencies’ independence following a public outcry

FILE – Long-range drones An-196 Liutyi of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine stand in line before takeoff in undisclosed location, Ukraine, Feb. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)

FILE – Long-range drones An-196 Liutyi of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine stand in line before takeoff in undisclosed location, Ukraine, Feb. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)

FILE – Long-range drones An-196 Liutyi of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine stand in line before takeoff in undisclosed location, Ukraine, Feb. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)

FILE – Long-range drones An-196 Liutyi of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine stand in line before takeoff in undisclosed location, Ukraine, Feb. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies said they had uncovered a major graft scheme involving inflated military procurement contracts, just two days after Ukraine’s parliament voted to restore the agencies’ independence.

In a joint statement published Saturday on social media, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) said the suspects had taken bribes in a scheme that used state funds to buy drones and other military equipment at inflated prices.

“The essence of the scheme was to conclude state contracts with supplier companies at deliberately inflated prices,” the statement said, adding that offenders had received kickbacks of up to 30% of the contracts’ value.

The anti-corruption bodies did not identify the detainees, but said a Ukrainian lawmaker, local district and city officials, and National Guard servicemen were involved. Four people have been arrested so far, they said. The Interior Ministry said the National Guard personnel implicated in the case were removed from their positions.

Drones have become a crucial asset in modern warfare for both Ukraine and Russia, enhancing military reconnaissance, precision strikes, and strategic flexibility on the battlefield. The majority of Russian military assets destroyed by Ukrainian forces, including manpower and heavy weaponry, have been targeted by drones. Drone production is also a key aspect of Kyiv’s hopes to expand domestic military production and export markets.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the development in his nightly address on Saturday, calling the graft scheme “absolutely immoral” and thanking the anti-corruption agencies for their work.

“Unfortunately, these corruption schemes involved the procurement of electronic warfare systems and FPV drones … There must be full and fair accountability for this,” he said in his address, posted to X.

In an earlier post, which also included photos of him meeting with the agency heads, Zelenskyy said it is “important that anti-corruption institutions operate independently,” adding that “the law passed on Thursday guarantees them all the tools necessary for a real fight against corruption.”

The exposure of the graft scheme by NABU and SAPO came just two days after Ukraine’s parliament voted to restore their independence.

Ukraine’s Parliament on Thursday overwhelmingly approved the bill presented by Zelenskyy, reversing his earlier contentious move that curbed their power and sparked a backlash, including street protests, a rarity in wartime.

Last week’s measure to place the watchdogs under the oversight of the prosecutor-general prompted rebukes from Ukrainians, the European Union and international rights groups. It raised fears that the government could meddle in investigations and potentially shield its supporters from scrutiny.

Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine’s aspirations to join the European Union and maintain access to billions of dollars of vital Western aid in the all-out war, now in its fourth year. It’s also an effort that enjoys broad public support.

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Morton reported from London.

By EurActiv

By Jeremias Lin

(EurActiv) — Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies have arrested a lawmaker and former officials over an alleged defence procurement kickback scheme, just days after parliament restored the independence of key anti-graft bodies.

Kyiv’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) have unveiled a scheme involving inflated contracts for military drones and signal-jamming systems.

According to media reports, kickbacks were reportedly up to 30% of contract costs, involving a corruption network connected to a sitting lawmaker, two local officials, and several National Guard personnel.

Four arrests have been made so far, including MP Oleksii Kuznetsov, a member of Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party. Other exposed officials include Serhii Haidai (former Luhansk governor) and Andrii Yurchenko (head of Luhansk Oblast’s Rubizhne district), Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing law enforcement sources.

The bribery scheme allegedly diverted funds intended for the procurement of drones and electronic warfare equipment, NABU said.

The arrests come at a politically delicate moment. Just days earlier, parliament reversed a controversial reform that had placed NABU and SAPO under the control of the prosecutor general – a post appointed by the president.

The move had sparked Ukraine’s largest protests since the start of Russia’s invasion and drew swift criticism from EU leaders. The independence of anti-corruption institutions is a key requirement for EU accession candidate status, which Kyiv was granted in June 2022.

After the arrests, Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram that he was “grateful to the anti-corruption bodies for their work,” adding that the new law ensures they can “work independently” with “all the opportunities for a real fight against corruption.”

Anticorruption agencies arrest four suspects after government forced to backtrack on push to strip them of autonomy.

Ukrainian authorities have detained several officials over a “large-scale corruption scheme” in the defence sector, just days after lawmakers restored the independence of the country’s two main investigative bodies.

The National Anti-Corruption Agency (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) said in a joint statement on Saturday that they made four arrests in connection with the scheme, which involved the procurement of military drones and signal jamming systems.

“The essence of the scheme was to conclude state contracts with supplier companies at deliberately inflated prices,” they said, adding that the suspects had received kickbacks of up to 30 percent of the contract amounts.

NABU and SAPO said they had caught a sitting lawmaker, two local officials and an unspecified number of National Guard personnel taking bribes. The suspects were not identified in Saturday’s statement.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs also said it had suspended the suspected National Guard members.

The announcement comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy came under criticism last month for trying to take away the anticorruption agencies’ independence and place them under the control of his prosecutor-general.

The agencies regained their autonomy after Zelenskyy’s move sparked the first antigovernment demonstrations in Ukraine since Russia invaded in 2022.

Zelenskyy, who enjoys far-reaching wartime powers, initially said he needed to bring the agencies under his control because they were inefficient and under “Russian influence”.

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But he then said he had heard people’s anger and submitted a bill restoring the agencies’ independence, which was passed by lawmakers on Thursday.

“It is important that anticorruption institutions operate independently, and the law passed on Thursday guarantees them all the tools necessary for a real fight against corruption,” Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine’s European allies praised the about-face, having voiced concerns about the original defanging of the agencies.

Top officials had told Zelenskyy that Ukraine was jeopardising its bid for European Union membership by curbing the powers of its antigraft authorities.

In a statement about Saturday’s arrests, Zelenskyy said he was “grateful to the anti-corruption agencies for their work”.

Ukraine officials held in military drone corruption probe

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Sergey Shestak/EPA Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies say they have uncovered large-scale bribery in drone procurement

A Ukrainian MP and other officials have been arrested after the country’s anti-corruption agencies uncovered what they call a large-scale bribery scheme in the purchase of drones and electronic warfare systems. In a statement on X, President Volodymyr Zelensky said a Ukrainian MP, heads of district and city administrations and several National Guard service members had been exposed for their involvement, which involved state contracts with suppliers being signed at prices inflated by up to 30%. Zelensky wrote that there can be “zero tolerance” for corruption in Ukraine, and thanked the agencies for their work. The independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies was restored on Thursday, following nationwide protests.

Zelensky’s government faced an extensive backlash after introducing a bill that would strip the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, known as Nabu and Sap respectively, of their independence. The president claimed the agencies needed to be “cleared of Russian influence”, and sought to give the general prosecutor the authority to decide who should be prosecuted in high-level corruption cases. Many saw the move as a step backwards for corruption in Ukraine, resulting in the largest anti-government demonstrations since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of the country in 2022. Zelensky acknowledged public anger and submitted a new bill restoring the agencies’ former independence, which was voted through by parliament just nine days after the original bill had been passed. The head of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), Kyrylo Budanov, thanked Zelensky for “hearing the public’s call” regarding the powers of anti-corruption agencies and “not making a mistake”. The move was also praised by EU allies, who had voiced concerns over the implications of the original bill.

Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies have exposed a significant bribery scheme involving inflated contracts for military drones and signal jamming systems, just days after their independence was reinstated following mass protests.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) announced on Saturday that they had arrested four individuals, including a sitting lawmaker, two local officials, and members of the National Guard. According to the agencies, the suspects conspired to sign state contracts with suppliers at deliberately inflated prices, receiving kickbacks worth up to 30% of the contract value.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the corruption, emphasizing “zero tolerance” and promising fair justice. He restored the independence of NABU and SAPO on Thursday after widespread protests erupted against his earlier move to place them under the prosecutor-general’s control. The protests, the largest since Russia’s 2022 invasion, forced Zelenskiy into a rare political reversal.

European allies, critical of the earlier power shift, praised Ukraine’s decision to safeguard the agencies’ autonomy. EU officials had warned that weakening anti-graft bodies could endanger Ukraine’s EU membership ambitions, which hinge on demonstrating progress in tackling corruption.

Following the arrests, Zelenskiy met with anti-corruption leaders and reaffirmed that the newly adopted law guarantees these institutions the authority needed for an effective fight against corruption.

The investigation underscores Ukraine’s ongoing struggle to root out wartime graft while maintaining international support and advancing toward European integration. The crackdown on inflated drone procurement also highlights the importance of transparency in military spending as Ukraine continues its defense against Russia’s ongoing invasion.

This latest case is expected to bolster Ukraine’s credibility with Western allies demanding stronger anti-corruption measures as part of future aid and EU accession talks.