In the latest scandal, a senior official in the Ukrainian Defense Ministry was arrested for the embezzlement of around 36 million euros intended for the purchase of artillery shells in December.
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The fight against corruption is one of the criteria set by the European Union to decide on Ukraine’s membership. However, scandals have continued for several months and corruption now appears to be a priority for the State. A situation which weighs heavily on the morale of the soldiers. We met a soldier in the small abandoned house, where he meets those of his battalion to sleep and relax for a few days before returning to the front.
Sacha is exhausted, so when asked about the needs of the army and the international aid that is slow to arrive, he explodes. “Those who support us are our children, he said. It is for them that we are fighting. It’s best not to think about those who do their shenanigans in the back. If our deputies continue to steal, this aid will stop. Of course, they don’t even hide, they’re not afraid of anything.” Behind him, a man gestures. For the corrupt: a bullet in the head, he mimes, extending his arm.
Dismissals announced by Zelensky
Anger is being heard more and more in kyiv. Andreï, his face still marked with fatigue, takes advantage of a few days of leave. “If our government and parliamentarians did not steal money, Europe would continue to support us. There are many rearguard rats who profit from the war. This steals and this leads to death and destruction. suffering of innocent people.
Oleg, another soldier, is also beside himself. He shows the tourniquet he had to buy so as not to use those supplied by the army, of Chinese origin and of poor quality, which break at the slightest turn. He also bought himself an extra outfit, so he could go back dry when his was wet. “Why does a Ukrainian soldier have to buy a good bulletproof vest himself? We have to buy everything, even medical equipment. Only one answer: this damn corruption”he exclaims.
For several months, however, measures have been taken. Volodymyr Zelinsky announced dramatic dismissals of senior officials in September, and Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov was forced to resign. Decisions welcomed by most Ukrainians, even if many ultimately only see them as display effects. They demand a real revolution, with exemplary penalties against corruption, which they perceive as a betrayal of the nation.