Ukrainian officials held in drone procurement corruption probe
In a joint statement published on social media, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised 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 offenders had received kick-backs of up to 30% of the contract value.
The anti-corruption bodies did not identify the detainees, but said a Ukrainian politician, 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.
NABU Director Semen Kryvonos and Head of the SAPO Oleksandr Klymenko delivered a report.
A Ukrainian MP, along with heads of district and city administrations and several National Guard servicemembers, were exposed for bribery. I am grateful to the anti-corruption agencies for… pic.twitter.com/VEH2qzFxUg — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 2, 2025
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 Zelensky addressed the development in his nightly address on Saturday, calling the 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.
The exposure of the graft scheme by NABU and SAPO came just two days after Ukraine's parliament voted to restore the agencies' independence.
In an earlier post, which also included photos of him meeting with the agency heads, Mr Zelensky said it is 'important that anti-corruption institutions operate independently', adding: 'The law passed on Thursday guarantees them all the tools necessary for a real fight against corruption.'
Ukraine's Parliament on Thursday overwhelmingly approved the bill presented by Mr Zelensky, reversing his earlier contentious move that curbed their power and sparked a backlash, including street protests, a rarity in wartime.
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