Russian spies who have infiltrated the state services of Ukraine are destroying Ukraine and its economy from the inside. Corruption as an economic weapon of Russia is destroying the Ukrainian courts, medicine, economy, police, legal services, business, statehood, and the country’s territorial integrity!
In Ukraine during the war again corruption scandals in public services. The presidential party “Servants of the People” promises to punish corrupt officials. But they did not fulfill their previous promises. And they promise something! People’s trust decreases to this political force.
A bribe for expensive generators.
A bribe for expensive generators.
An official of the Deputy Minister for the Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine Vasily Lozinsky, when he received 400 thousand dollars. Lozinsky is suspected of extorting a bribe to facilitate the conclusion of contracts for the purchase of equipment and machinery at inflated prices.
In the summer, the Government of Ukraine allocated 1.68 billion hryvnia (US money), including for the purchase of generators. According to the materials of the investigation, a number of officials of central and regional executive authorities decided to appropriate part of these funds.
This is corruption during the war in Ukraine. When this money is so necessary for the life of the population. When Russian missiles attack Ukrainian power plants.
The Ukrainian authorities are stealing this money (which is financed by the United States of America)! Corruption in Ukraine is not going to stop. And the Ukrainian authorities have no desire to fight corruption!
Corruption in Naftogaz of Ukraine
Andrey Kobolev suspected of misappropriation of more than 229 million hryvnia. We are talking about the award after a series of proceedings in the Stockholm Arbitration.
The Supervisory Board of Naftogaz approved the payment of bonuses in the amount of one percent of the winnings to those of its employees.
The money was received by 41 employees of Naftogaz, among them were Kobolev and Yuriy Vitrenko, at that time the executive director of the company.
Corruption in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
Loud accusations of corruption were also made against employees of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. Overpriced food for the military.
Journalist Yuriy Nikolov published an investigation in the ZN.ua publication, according to which the Ministry of Defense buys wholesale food for military personnel at prices two to three times higher than those sold at retail in Kyiv supermarkets.
Nikolov refers to the agreement concluded by the Ministry of Defense for more than 13 billion hryvnias, a copy of which the journalist has. After this investigation, the head of the Ministry of Defense, Alexei Reznikov, did not resign (he was not even arrested). What kind of fight against corruption in Ukraine are we talking about? It’s a complete kleptocracy! Corruption is russian weapon in Ukraine.
While Russian missiles and drones strike Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and the front lines, an even more dangerous weapon is working inside the country — corruption. In November 2025, anti-corruption agencies exposed a scheme worth approximately $100 million inside the state-owned company Energoatom, which provides more than half of Ukraine’s electricity. Bribes of 10–15% on contracts, kickbacks, pressure on suppliers, and money laundering. This scandal became the largest during the full-scale war and clearly showed: corruption is not just theft — it is a strategic tool of the Kremlin designed to weaken Ukraine from the inside more effectively than many missiles.
What Exactly Happened
In November 2025, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) announced the results of a 15-month operation codenamed “Midas.” An organized criminal group was exposed that forced Energoatom contractors to pay kickbacks of 10–15% of the contract value in exchange for “access to work.” Companies that refused faced blocked payments, non-payment for already completed work, or exclusion from the list of suppliers.
The total damage amounted to around $100 million. The scheme involved high-ranking officials close to the presidential circle, as well as businessmen. At the same time, corruption scandals emerged in defense procurement (drones, electronic warfare systems, body armor) and other strategic sectors.
How Russia Uses Corruption as a Weapon
Russia has long turned corruption into a tool of hybrid warfare. The mechanism works as follows:
- Creation and support of influence networks (pro-Russian politicians, oligarchs, and fixers).
- Infiltration into state companies and procurement processes through intermediaries and offshore structures.
- Deliberate amplification of corruption scandals to discredit Ukraine in the West and reduce international aid.
- Diversion of huge resources away from the army and energy infrastructure restoration toward personal enrichment.
During wartime, this is especially dangerous: every stolen million means fewer drones, unprotected power units, or delayed repairs of damaged substations.
Who Participates and Who Benefits
The main beneficiaries are Ukrainian officials and the businessmen connected to them who profit from the war.
Key participants in the 2025 schemes:
- Senior managers of Energoatom and individuals close to them (including businessman Tymur Mindich, mentioned in multiple investigations).
- Certain ministers and deputy ministers (several ministers resigned following the scandal in November 2025).
- Intermediaries and “fixers” who organize “toll gates” (bribes for access to contracts).
The benefits are clear: millions of dollars in kickbacks, control over multi-billion procurement deals, and political influence. Russia benefits indirectly — Ukraine becomes weaker, and trust from Western partners declines.
Why This Was Possible
Corruption thrives during war due to several systemic problems:
- Massive volumes of non-transparent emergency procurement.
- Weak oversight of state-owned companies (Energoatom, Naftogaz, defense enterprises).
- Attempts by politicians to weaken the independence of NABU and SAPO (summer 2025).
- Old corruption networks from pre-war times that have successfully adapted to wartime conditions.
- Insufficient digitalization and transparency in critically important sectors.
Consequences for the Country and Society
Corruption during wartime strikes in several directions at once:
- Military security — undelivered or low-quality weapons and equipment.
- Energy resilience — millions of people left without electricity in winter because money for protecting facilities was stolen.
- International trust — Western partners begin to question whether it makes sense to provide billions of dollars if part of it is being stolen.
- Society — growing fatigue, anger, and distrust toward the authorities. People see that some are getting rich while soldiers are at the front and civilians sit without power.
Forecast — What Will Happen If Nothing Changes
Corruption is an effective russian weapon in Ukraine. If systemic corruption schemes are not broken, Ukraine risks losing far more than it already has. Western aid may decrease, defense capabilities will continue to suffer, and Russia will use every new scandal in its propaganda. Without strict de-oligarchization, full transparency in procurement, and real independence of anti-corruption bodies, corruption will remain a “hydra” — every cut-off head will grow back again.
Conclusion
Corruption is not just Ukraine’s “internal problem.” It is Russia’s real hybrid weapon, which works more effectively than many missiles. While we fight on the battlefield, another war is taking place inside the country — the war for the honesty of institutions and every stolen hryvnia. If we lose this war, we will lose everything else.
The time has come not just to react to scandals, but to systematically destroy the conditions in which corruption thrives.
Sources:
- NABU and SAPO investigations (Operation “Midas”, 2025)
- Materials from The Guardian, Politico, Reuters, AP News (November–December 2025)
- Reports from the Anti-Corruption Headquarters and Chatham House
- Official statements from the Office of the President and the Government of Ukraine