KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine said on Monday it had charged six people including a lawmaker and a government official for embezzling funds in the purchase of drones and jamming equipment for the military.
Kyiv relies on a steady supply of drones and electronic warfare systems to fight Moscow’s invasion and is also waging a crackdown on graft critical to its future in the European Union.
Anti-corruption authorities said on Saturday they had uncovered a scheme offering kickbacks for purchases at inflated prices. It involved the legislator, one current and one now sacked official, a National Guard commander and two businessmen.
“In 2024–2025, an organised criminal group systematically misappropriated funds allocated by local authorities for defence needs,” the National Anti-Corruption Bureau said in a statement, adding the bribes totalled around 30% of the contracts’ value.
The drone contract was worth $240,000 with an inflation of about $80,000, the bureau said.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who sparked a public furore last month for briefly scrapping the independence of two anti-corruption agencies, praised the move on Saturday after meeting the agency heads.
Besides the lawmaker, those charged on Monday include a former governor and regional administration chief, the head of a city military administration, the commander of a National Guard Unit, and the director and the owner of a drone manufacturer.
The lawmaker was ordered into custody for two months on Monday, pending bail of the equivalent of around $190,000, Ukraine’s anti-corruption court said.
None of the suspects were identified. The equipment was locally manufactured.
(Reporting by Dan Peleschuk; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
