Ukraine: Corrupt Defence Officials Stole $40 Million Meant for Ammunition
30th January 2024
Yet another corruption scandal has rocked Ukraine’s military, with employees from a Ukrainian arms firm and defence ministry officials accused of embezzling $40 million. The revelations come as Volodymyr Zelensky urges Western nations to provide more weapons and U.S. Republicans want more accountability on how American taxpayers’ money is being spent in Ukraine.
Five people have been charged in Ukraine for mass procurement fraud. High-ranking officials of the defence ministry, as well as managers of arms supplier Lviv Arsenal, were involved in the scheme. They signed a contract in August 2022, six months into the war with Russia, for 100,000 artillery shells worth $39.6 million. However, the goods were never delivered and the money was instead sent to various accounts in Ukraine and the Balkans, investigators said on Saturday, January 27th. If found guilty, the accused face up to 12 years in prison. According to Ukraine’s prosecutor general, the stolen funds have been seized and will be returned to the defence budget.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to clamp down on corruption in a bid to speed up his country’s accession to the European Union and NATO. Both blocs have demanded widespread anti-corruption reforms before Kyiv can join them.