Ukraine uncovers major bribery scheme in electronic warfare systems procurement: MP and officials involved
An MP, several heads of local government, and service members from the National Guard have been exposed by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) as having been involved in bribery in relation to the procurement of drones and electronic warfare equipment. The scheme involved entering into state contracts with supplier companies at notoriously inflated prices.
Source: NABU and SAPO on Telegram; Ukrainska Pravda sources
Quote: "Today, a number of measures have been taken to expose individuals who were involved in committing a corruption crime.
Among those exposed for bribery are a sitting member of parliament of Ukraine, heads of district and city military civil administrations, and service members from the National Guard. The essence of the scheme was to conclude state contracts with supplier companies at deliberately inflated prices. Up to 30% of the value of the contract was returned to the perpetrators as unlawful gains."
Details: So far, four people have been detained under Article 208 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of Ukraine.
Neither NABU and SAPO nor President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed the detainees’ names.
Ukrainska Pravda sources have reported that Oleksii Kuznietsov from the Servant of the People party is the MP who has been detained.
Quote from NABU and SAPO: "It should be noted that this operation was made possible thanks to law No. 4560-IX, signed by the President of Ukraine, which removed a number of barriers in the work of the anti-corruption bodies and contributed to the stability of their activities in investigations that are sensitive for the state. This operation is an example of how institutional support and cooperation at the highest level contribute to real change. We would like to thank the president of Ukraine for promoting an independent anti-corruption infrastructure."
Update: NABU and SAPO later released further details.
The organised criminal group included a Member of Parliament of the ninth [current] convocation; a former head of the Luhansk Oblast Military Administration who now heads one of the district military administrations; the head of a city military administration; the commander of a National Guard of Ukraine military unit; and the beneficial owner and the director of a company that supplies unmanned aerial vehicles
The investigators have established that in 2024 and 2025, the members of the organised group set up a scheme to systematically embezzle public funds allocated by local authorities for defence needs and to give and receive large-scale bribes.
NABU and SAPO found that one scheme centred on a government contract for the supply of electronic warfare systems. The members of the organised group received a bribe amounting to 30% of the contract value in exchange for agreeing to purchase the products at a deliberately inflated price.
Another of the embezzlement schemes uncovered involved the procurement of first-person view (FPV) drones. A military unit signed a government contract worth nearly UAH 10 million (approximately US$239,300) with a company that supplied the products at a price inflated by around US$80,000. After fulfilling the contract, company officials paid a kickback to the members of the criminal group.
Four individuals have been detained under Article 208 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of Ukraine. The preliminary legal charges are under Articles 191.5 and 368.4 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The authorities are now considering whether to serve notices of suspicion on the suspects.
Background: Earlier on 2 August, following a report from NABU director Semen Kryvonos and SAPO head Oleksandr Klymenko, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that a corrupt MP, several heads of local government and members of the National Guard have been caught accepting bribes.
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