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Five Ukrainian officials were arrested this weekend on charges of stealing nearly $40 million in funds intended to purchase military equipment for the war against Russia.
Ukraine's security service said members of the Defense Ministry conspired with members of a Ukrainian defense company to embezzle funds intended to purchase 100,000 mortar shells. The allegations come amid divisions in the U.S. over whether to provide more aid to Ukraine, with some critics pointing to Ukraine's long-standing struggles with corruption.
The five people arrested face up to twelve years in prison if found guilty. According to Ukraine's Prosecutor General, the $39.6 million has now been confiscated and returned to the defense budget.
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Allegations from Ukraine say defense officials organized payment to Lviv Arsenal, a defense contractor, to secure the delivery of artillery shells. However, the ammunition never arrived and the funds were instead transferred to accounts of defense officials and members of the company.
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Five Ukrainian officials were arrested this weekend on charges of stealing nearly $40 million in funds intended to purchase military equipment for the war against Russia. (AP Photo/LIBKOS)
Corruption has long been a problem in Ukraine, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky won the election with an anti-corruption campaign even before the Russian invasion in 2022.
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But this fall, an adviser to Zelensky said the government had suffered “reputational damage” on the world stage because of its slow efforts to fight corruption.
A Zelensky associate told Time magazine in October: “People are stealing like there’s no tomorrow.”
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Corruption has long been a problem in Ukraine, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky won the election with an anti-corruption campaign even before the Russian invasion in 2022. (Mykola Tys/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Ukraine's efforts to push back the Russian invasion have largely stalled. A Ukrainian counteroffensive won a few narrow victories but failed to achieve a major breakthrough against the Russian lines.
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Ukraine's most significant achievements are its grain exports, which have resumed despite Russian efforts. Ukrainian officials have praised their campaign against Russia's Black Sea Fleet.
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Ukraine's most significant achievements are its grain exports, which have resumed despite Russian efforts. Ukrainian officials have praised their campaign against Russia's Black Sea Fleet. (Russian Defense Ministry press service via AP)
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Zelensky highlighted the efforts in several speeches during his state visits abroad in the final months of 2023, claiming that the Russian fleet was “no longer operational in the western part of the Black Sea and is gradually withdrawing from Crimea.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.