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Malaysia Sun
5 days ago
- Politics
- Malaysia Sun
Zelensky rating slumps poll
A 7% drop came after the Ukrainian leaders failed attempt to crack down on anti-graft agencies Public trust in Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has dropped by 7% in about a month, according to a nationwide poll released on Wednesday. The apparent slump in popularity came after his controversial botched crackdown on the country's key anti-corruption agencies. The survey by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), conducted from July 23 to August 4, suggests that trust in Zelensky stands at 58%, down from 65% in June. The poll says 35% of Ukrainians now say they do not trust Zelensky - an increase from 30% in early June. The drop in support was especially steep among respondents under 30, where trust fell by 15% - from 74% at the start of summer to 59% by early August, according to the poll. The KIIS partially attributed the decline to Zelensky's attempt to strip the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) of independence, citing Russian influence. Critics of the move accused Zelensky of having authoritarian tendencies, sparking protests at home and discontent in the West, given that many supporters of Kiev have for years demanded that it intensify the fight against corruption. Following the backlash, Zelensky was forced to roll back the reforms. KIIS stressed that although the controversy undoubtedly damaged Zelensky's image, other factors are at play. Of those who distrust him, only 6% cited the controversy as the reason, compared to 21% who pointed to overall corruption and 20% who say Zelensky is an inefficient leader during a time of conflict. The KIIS poll was based on phone interviews with 1,022 respondents across Ukraine. Last month, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) stated that US and UK officials had secretly met with their key Ukrainian counterparts to discuss ousting Zelensky and replacing him with former military chief Valery Zaluzhny. According to the SVR, the recent NABU and SAPO controversy was in large part engineered by Zelensky's own officials to provide justification for the Western partners to seek his removal. (
Russia Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Zelensky rating slumps
Public trust in Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has dropped by 7% in about a month, according to a nationwide poll released on Wednesday. The apparent slump in popularity came after his controversial botched crackdown on the country's key anti-corruption agencies. The survey by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), conducted from July 23 to August 4, suggests that trust in Zelensky stands at 58%, down from 65% in June. The poll says 35% of Ukrainians now say they do not trust Zelensky – an increase from 30% in early June. The drop in support was especially steep among respondents under 30, where trust fell by 15% – from 74% at the start of summer to 59% by early August, according to the poll. The KIIS partially attributed the decline to Zelensky's attempt to strip the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) of independence, citing Russian influence. Critics of the move accused Zelensky of having authoritarian tendencies, sparking protests at home and discontent in the West, given that many supporters of Kiev have for years demanded that it intensify the fight against corruption. Following the backlash, Zelensky was forced to roll back the reforms. KIIS stressed that although the controversy undoubtedly damaged Zelensky's image, other factors are at play. Of those who distrust him, only 6% cited the controversy as the reason, compared to 21% who pointed to overall corruption and 20% who say Zelensky is an inefficient leader during a time of conflict. The KIIS poll was based on phone interviews with 1,022 respondents across Ukraine. Last month, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) stated that US and UK officials had secretly met with their key Ukrainian counterparts to discuss ousting Zelensky and replacing him with former military chief Valery Zaluzhny. According to the SVR, the recent NABU and SAPO controversy was in large part engineered by Zelensky's own officials to provide justification for the Western partners to seek his removal.
Egypt Independent
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
Ukraine says it uncovers major drone procurement corruption scheme
Kyiv Reuters — Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies said on Saturday they had uncovered a major graft scheme that procured military drones and signal jamming systems at inflated prices, two days after the agencies' independence was restored following major protests. The independence of Ukraine's anti-graft investigators and prosecutors, NABU and SAPO, was reinstated by parliament on Thursday after a move to take it away resulted in the country's biggest demonstrations since Russia's invasion in 2022. In a statement published by both agencies on social media, NABU and SAPO said they had caught a sitting lawmaker, two local officials and an unspecified number of national guard personnel taking bribes. None of them were identified in the statement. 'The essence of the scheme was to conclude state contracts with supplier companies at deliberately inflated prices,' it said, adding that the offenders had received kickbacks of up to 30% of a contract's cost. Four people had been arrested. 'There can only be zero tolerance for corruption, clear teamwork to expose corruption and, as a result, a just sentence,' Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram. Participants gather at a protest against a law targeting anti-corruption institutions in front of the Ukrainian parliament in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday. Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Zelensky, who has far-reaching wartime presidential powers and still enjoys broad approval among Ukrainians, was forced into a rare political about-face when his attempt to bring NABU and SAPO under the control of his prosecutor-general sparked the first nationwide protests of the war. Zelensky subsequently said that he had heard the people's anger, and submitted a bill restoring the agencies' former independence, which was voted through by parliament on Thursday. Ukraine's European allies praised the move, having voiced concerns about the original stripping of the agencies' status. Top European officials had told Zelensky that Ukraine was jeopardizing its bid for European Union membership by curbing the powers of its anti-graft authorities. 'It is important that anti-corruption institutions operate independently, and the law adopted on Thursday guarantees them every opportunity for a real fight against corruption,' Zelensky wrote on Saturday after meeting the heads of the agencies, who briefed him on the latest investigation.
Leaders
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Leaders
Scandal in Kyiv: Ukraine Uncover Major Corruption Scheme Involving Top Officials
Ukrainian authorities have arrested a lawmaker and several senior officials, following a major anti-corruption investigation into military procurement fraud involving drones and electronic warfare systems. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the arrests publicly on social media platform X, stating those exposed include a sitting MP, heads of district and city administrations, and National Guard members. Their alleged scheme involved signing state contracts with suppliers at prices inflated by up to 30%. 'Ukraine maintains zero tolerance for corruption,' Zelensky declared firmly, thanking the anti-corruption agencies for their crucial work uncovering the bribery. Anti-Corruption Independence Restored After Protests Significantly, this probe follows the recent restoration of independence for Ukraine's key anti-corruption bodies after Zelensky's government faced massive nationwide protests just days earlier. Public outrage erupted after parliament passed a bill stripping the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) of their autonomy. Zelensky initially argued the agencies required 'clearing of Russian influence.' His original bill aimed to grant the general prosecutor authority over high-level corruption prosecutions, with critics widely condemning the move as a major setback for Ukraine's anti-graft efforts. Consequently, the protests became the largest since Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion. Responding swiftly to public anger, Zelensky submitted a new bill as Parliament voted overwhelmingly to restore NABU and SAPO's former independence just nine days after the initial controversial law passed. Crucial for Ukraine's EU Path Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's Defence Intelligence (HUR), thanked Zelensky for 'hearing the public's call' and avoiding a mistake regarding the agencies. EU allies also praised the reversal, having expressed serious concerns about the first bill's implications. Ukraine's fight against corruption remains vital for its European Union membership bid. The EU Commission and International Monetary Fund mandated creating NABU and SAPO back in 2014, a key condition for visa liberalization and later EU candidate status, granted to Kyiv in 2022. Since their establishment, NABU and SAPO have pursued high-profile investigations, targeting multi-million-dollar asset misappropriation and bribes across ministries and sectors. Notably, a joint 2023 investigation led to the arrest of Vsevolod Kniaziev, then-head of Ukraine's Supreme Court, over an alleged $3 million bribe. Short link : Post Views: 14
Powys County Times
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Powys County Times
Ukrainian officials held in drone procurement corruption probe
Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies say they have uncovered a major bribery scheme involving inflated military procurement contracts. 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… — 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.
