Ukraine hit by another military corruption scandal
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has arrested several military officials for their alleged involvement in a corruption scheme that resulted in tens of thousands of defective mortar shells being sent to the front, thus compromising operations. Ukraine has long been notorious for its rampant corruption, a problem exacerbated when large military procurement orders began being placed.
Complaints from frontline soldiers about subpar 120mm mortar shells began to pour in late last year. Service members claimed that only one in ten shells exploded due to a smorgasbord of problems, including wet powder and faulty fuses. Local media later reported that as many as 100,000 shells had been recalled, and that authorities had launched an investigation.
In a statement on Tuesday, the SBU said that a defense plant in Dnepropetrovsk Region supplied the military with 120,000 mortar rounds unsuitable for combat use. Without identifying the facility, the agency said that it had detained four suspects, including the plant's director general, his deputy, as well as two military officials who were responsible for receiving the rounds and overseeing production.
According to the SBU, the plant signed a contract with Ukraine's Defense Procurement Agency to produce 120,000 mortar shells. However, in some cases, the plant used 'low-quality materials and performed defective work' to produce the shells.
This way, the agency continued, 'the organizers of the scheme tried to reduce the cost of production in order to get a greater profit from the state order.' Moreover, the military officials overseeing the process were involved in the scheme and deliberately 'turned a blind eye' to the defective batch of ammunition, the statement read.
The defendants are now charged with aggravated obstruction of the military leading to severe consequences, and face 15 years in prison.
Last year, several media reports indicated that the mortar shell crisis was only one facet of the difficulties in the Ukrainian defense industry, which was struggling to begin mass domestic production due to logistics and personnel issues.
Corruption has also been a long-standing issue in Ukraine's defense sector, especially after the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022. Kiev's Western backers have acknowledged the problem, citing graft as a major obstacle to the country's EU integration.
Earlier this week, US National Security Adviser Michael Waltz called for proper oversight of American aid to Kiev, calling Ukraine 'one of the most corrupt countries in the world.'
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