Ukraine said on Tuesday, December 5, that it was investigating alleged corruption in arms procurement but vowed there was no "misuse" of the Western weapons pouring into the country to fight the Russian invasion. Kyiv has for months promised its EU allies that it is still committed to fighting corruption, even during wartime.
The announcement also came three months after Kyiv appointed a new defense minister, Rustem Umerov, following allegations of corruption in the army during the tenure of his predecessor.
"There are several proceedings related to arms procurement," Oleksandr Klymenko, the head of the anti-corruption prosecutor's office, said. He said these included contracts that amount "from €10 to 100 million," but said he could not disclose details. "It is necessary to investigate and establish specific facts: Whether it happened or not." Yet, Klymenko said that authorities had not received any complaints from Western allies that have provided the country with weapons.
Corruption is a major problem in Ukraine, and there have been several corruption scandals in recent months, including within the defense ministry. However, the allegations never concerned the military and financial aid given to Ukraine by Western countries. Ukraine has received tens of millions of dollars in aid from the US, the EU and the UK since Moscow invaded in February 2022.
"We constantly inform our partners that if they have information that indicates corruption, misuse of the assistance provided, we are ready to put it as a top priority and start an investigation," Klymenko said.