Ukraine Rocked by Massive Energy Corruption Scandal.

This week, Ukrainian politics was hit by a massive corruption scandal involving Energoatom, the state-run nuclear power company, and allegedly $100 million worth of bribes. Corruption in Ukraine is still endemic. According to a New York Times report, those involved in the scheme demanded kickbacks of 10 to 15 percent. Investigators of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) discovered several of the kickbacks were related to building protective covering for nuclear power stations that Russia has targeted during the war. At the center of the scandal is Ukrainian businessman Timur Mindich, who co-owned a TV company founded by Zelenskyy. On top of that, several ministers, including a former energy minister and a former deputy prime minister, may be involved. This could spell serious trouble for Zelenskyy, with some opposition MPs calling for the government to fall.

Ukraine’s Agriculture Minister Facing Allegations of a Land Grab.

Yesterday, Ukraine’s agriculture minister, Mykola Solsky, agreed to cooperate with a corruption investigation involving the alleged illegal seizure of public land. According to a report in Al Jazeera, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) discovered a plot by a serving minister in President Zelenskyy’s cabinet to illegally acquire 7.3 million dollars of state-owned land in Northeastern Ukraine. According to a report in Barron’s NABU, it was alleged that a “criminal group” that may or may not have been led by Solsky attempted to acquire a further 3,300 hectares of land that are valued at $5 million. NABU is also trying to prove Solsky’s involvement by saying he and his co-conspirators attempted to destroy documents that showed that the Ukrainian Government rightfully owned the land. It is unclear what the outcome of this investigation will be, but it is heartening to see Zelenskyy’s government taking steps to clamp down on corruption.

Ukraine Embroiled in Another Corruption Scandal.

This past weekend, the Ukrainian government uncovered another large-scale corruption scandal involving missiles for the war effort. According to a report in Aljazeera, employees at a weapons manufacturer called Lviv Arsenal and members of the Ministry of Defense allegedly embezzled $40 million. It was intended to be a payment for missiles used in the war effort. Instead, the money was moved to several offshore accounts, and the military did not receive the 100,000 missiles they ordered. According to a report in NPR, the prosecutor general of Ukraine has announced that the funds have been recovered and will shortly be added to the defense budget. This scandal highlights two major issues. Firstly, corruption is still rife in Ukraine despite significant strides in anti-corruption efforts. Secondly, those 100,000 missiles would have been very handy for the war effort, and instead, several people decided to create a nice little earner for themselves.

China’s Ongoing Battle Against Corruption.

China and, more importantly, President Xi Jinping’s battle against entrenched corruption is continuing to make headline news. According to a report in Bloomberg, Xi’s most recent comments will put large swathes of the Chinese economy on edge, and that could continue to fuel uncertainty both domestically and abroad if one of the world’s biggest economies is in a state of constant turmoil. According to a report by CNN, Xi is primarily focused on misconduct in the healthcare, financial, and infrastructure sectors. These actions raise an interesting question: can corruption ever be truly stopped? While there have been some examples, such as Ukraine, where Zelenskyy has made some impressive strides in the last year, by and large, corruption and greed will always occur. If a country with China’s resources can’t fully root out corruption, then no one can. Catching a few big fish will always look good, but there will always be small fish in a pond that will induce greased palms and the benefits those bring.

EU Approves Membership Talks with Ukraine.

Yesterday, the EU approved membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova. While this is undeniably a big step for Ukraine as a country, it is not certain that Ukraine will be accepted into the bloc. According to a report in The Guardian, Hungarian President Viktor Orban, a well-known ally of Russia and President Putin, is threatening to hold up the process in any way possible. It is entirely possible that Orban’s sole goal was to get the EU to release 10 billion Euros from the EU budget. Ukraine has a lot of work to do before it can be accepted into the bloc. According to an article in Reuters, Ukraine must continue to clean up its judicial system and hire more anti-corruption professionals. It will be a long road, but based on its recent track record, Ukraine is committed to joining the EU despite the ongoing conflict with Russia.

Two High-Ranking Cyber Security Officials Sacked in Ukraine.

Today, two high-ranking officials in the Ukrainian government’s cyber security department were fired. According to a report in Reuters, Yurii Shchyhol and Viktor Zhora, the head and deputy head of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine (SSSCIP), were sacked due to allegations of their role in a plot to embezzle $1.72 million between 2020 and 2022. According to a report in US news, Shchyhol and Zhora are accused of buying software at increased prices from two companies they allegedly ran. The procurement process for the software program was very secretive and possibly rigged in favor of Shchyhol and Zhora. Ukraine is making strides in confronting corruption, but there is a long way to go.

Ukraine’s ongoing crusade against Corruption.

This week, the Ukrainian government under President Zelensky has been making further efforts to eradicate societal Corruption in Ukraine. Several outlets, including Reuters, have reported that a delegation of Ukrainian officials has met with Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security advisor, about improving anti-corruption efforts. Along with that is a report from the BBC that Ihor Kolomoisky, a well-known Ukrainian oligarch, is to be held in custody for two months on fraud and money laundering charges. Arguably, the most critical corruption story to come out of Ukraine is that President Zelensky has fired his defense minister, Oleskii Reznikov, because of allegations of Corruption. A report by the Washington Post suggests that Rustem Umerov, the former head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine, will take over. While there is a long way to go, it is clear that the Ukrainian government is making strides in stamping out governmental malfeasance.

Ukrainian Military Officers Fired Over Bribery Allegations.

Last Week President Zelenskyy fired officials who led Ukraine’s military recruitment drive over bribery allegations. Under Zelenskyy’s leadership, Ukraine has started to crack down on corruption, partially to improve its prospects of joining the EU and NATO. According to a BBC article, Zelenskyy announced that 30 people would face bribery allegations, including all the regional heads of the military conscription effort. The charges allege that these officials took bribes in cash and cryptocurrency and aided non-disabled men to leave the country. Current Ukrainian law states that all men over 18 able to fight up to 60 can be conscripted. It is admirable to see Zelenskyy clamp down on corruption after years of unchecked greed by other Ukrainian leaders.

Ukrainian Chief Supreme Court Justice Dismissed After Bribery Scandal.

Earlier this week, the chief justice of the Ukrainian supreme court was fired due to being caught up in a bribery scandal. Ukraine is in the process of cracking down on political corruption. According to a report from Reuters, while it is not immediately clear who was arrested, the current chief justice is Vsevolod Kniaziev. According to an article in The Guardian, the bribe may have been paid by a company called The Finance & Credit Group, owned by a well-known businessman called Konstiantyn Zhivago, to influence the court. If you are Kniaziev, seeing pictures of stacks of cash lined up on your living room sofa, surely that can’t be a good sign.

Odesa Mayor Arrested on Corruption Charges.

Last Thursday, the mayor of Odesa, Hennadii Trukhanov, was arrested in connection with an ongoing corruption investigation. Recently, Ukraine has been in the process of cracking down on governmental misconduct. According to Radio Free Europe Trukhanov is alleged to have embezzled roughly 2.5 million dollars from Odesa’s budget through a scheme involving the purchase of a disused factory. On Friday, according to Yahoo News Trukhabov was released on bail. While it is an encouraging sign that high-ranking government officials are being investigated over corruption allegations, Ukraine still has much to achieve, or they are serious about cracking down on governmental wrongdoing.