Ukrainian officials held in an investigation into the corruption of military drones

A Ukrainian deputy and other officials were arrested after the country’s anti-corruption agencies discovered what they call a large-scale corruption program in the purchase of drones and electronic war systems.

In a press release on X, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a Ukrainian deputy, district and city administrations and several members of the National Guard service had been exposed for their involvement, which involved public contracts with suppliers signed at inflated prices up to 30%.

Zelensky wrote that there can be a “zero tolerance” for corruption in Ukraine and thanked the agencies for their work.

The independence of Ukraine anti-corruption agencies was restored on Thursday, after national demonstrations.

The government of Zelensky had to face an extended reaction after having presented a bill which removes the National Anti-Corruption Office and the office of the specialized anti-corruption prosecutor, known as Nabu and SAP respectively, of their independence.

The president said that the agencies should be “unhappy with Russian influence” and sought to give the Attorney General the power to decide which should be prosecuted in high -level corruption cases.

Many have seen the movement as one step back for corruption in Ukraine, resulting in the greatest antigan demonstrations since Russia launched its large -scale invasion of the country in 2022.

Zelensky recognized the public’s anger and submitted a new bill restoring the former independence of agencies, which was voted by the Parliament only nine days after the adoption of the initial bill.

The head of the main intelligence department of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense (HUR), Kyrylo Budanov, thanked Zelensky for having “heard the public call” concerning the powers of anti-corruption agencies and “not making a mistake”.

This decision was also congratulated by the EU allies, who had expressed concerns about the implications of the original bill.

The fight against corruption is important in the attempted Ukraine to join the EU. The creation of Nabu and SAP was a requirement set by the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund in 2014, in order to move to a relaxation of visa restrictions.

Consequently, kyiv obtained the status of EU candidate in 2022, bringing the nation another step towards closer links with the West.

Since their creation, Nabu and SAP have participated in large-scale surveys on the misappropriation of millions of dollars of assets and bribes in various ministries and sectors.

A joint investigation in 2023 led to the arrest of the Head of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, VSEVOLOD KNIAZIEV, in connection with a bridge pot of $ 3 million (2.4 million pounds sterling; 2.9 million euros).