Employees of a Ukrainian arms firm and officials from the nation’s defense ministry joined forces to embezzle nearly $40 million in war funds. The money was meant to purchase 100,000 mortar shells for the country’s ongoing war with Russia, according to Ukraine’s security service (SBU).
Five people have been charged for the theft, the SBU stated on Saturday, according to the Associated Press. One was nabbed while trying to cross the Ukrainian border. If convicted, they each face up to a dozen years behind bars.
Many “conspiracy theorists” have long spoken of Ukraine’s corruption, but if Kyiv wants to be welcomed into the European Union and NATO anytime soon, it has to clean up its act.
“Officials from both blocs have demanded widespread anti-graft reforms before Kyiv can join them,” AP reports.
“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was elected on an anti-corruption platform in 2019, long before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022,” according to the outlet. “Both the president and his aides have portrayed the recent firings of top officials, notably that of Ivan Bakanov, former head of the State Security Service, in July 2022, as proof of their efforts to crack down on graft.”
In August 2022, Ukrainian officials signed a contract with arms firm Lviv Arsenal for 1.5 billion hryvnias ($39.6 million) worth of artillery shells.
The firm was to transfer the funds it received as payment to a business registered abroad. That business would then deliver the ammunition to Ukraine.
Instead, investigators said, the money went to various accounts in Ukraine and the Balkans and the ammunition never appeared.
In addition to arresting the suspected culprits, Ukraine’s prosecutor general announced that the stolen funds had been seized and would be returned to the country’s defense budget.
It’s little comfort to struggling Americans who learned this month that more than $1 billion in weapons provided to Ukraine by the Biden administration was improperly tracked by U.S. defense and diplomatic officials.
According to a recent inspector general report, as of June 2, 2023, the U.S. had transferred to Ukraine at least $1.699 billion in items that by law qualify for enhanced end-use monitoring, DOD officials failed to compile full or timely inventories on 69% of the total value.
The report noted that the DOD’s inability to input items into government databases or confirm their location in a timely manner “may increase the risk of theft or diversion.”
Meanwhile, President Biden has continued to call for additional money to be sent to aid Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy’s efforts against Russia as a condition of securing the U.S. border from an invasion of illegal migrants.
“Today, I brought together Congressional leaders to make clear the importance of getting Ukraine what it needs to defend itself from Putin’s aggression,” Biden wrote in a January 17 post on X. “Failure to act endangers the security of the U.S. and the free world.”
“Congress, don’t delay,” he urged lawmakers. “Pass my national security supplemental. The time to act is now.”
Today, I brought together Congressional leaders to make clear the importance of getting Ukraine what it needs to defend itself from Putin’s aggression.
Failure to act endangers the security of the U.S. and the free world.
Congress, don’t delay. Pass my national security… pic.twitter.com/GcHg5oAVu0
— President Biden (@POTUS) January 18, 2024
Speaking to Nevada voters in Las Vegas on Saturday, GOP frontrunner Donald Trump blasted the “so-called border security deal” for its inclusion of tens of billions of dollars for Ukraine.
“The so-called border security deal Biden is gushing out and pushing out is not designed to stop illegal immigration,” he told the Sin City crowd. “It’s designed to continue the invasion of America while sending billions of dollars to Ukraine and other countries.”
Trump cuts through Biden’s spin on border bill – the invasion continues and billions more to Ukraine https://t.co/FEO7byPrpa via @BIZPACReview
— BPR based (@DumpstrFireNews) January 28, 2024
On X, news of Ukraine’s continued corruption surprised few who’ve been paying attention.
“Duh. The most corrupt country in the world!” exclaimed one user. “Good lord y’all just figuring this out amuses me!”
Duh. The most corrupt country in the world! Good lord y’all just figuring this out amuses me!
— Docs Hollar (@DocsHollar) January 28, 2024
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Melissa Fine is the former executive editor of Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and Poker
Digest magazines. She is a UCLA graduate, news junkie, and dedicated Stargate SG-
1 fan. Melissa currently lives with her dog and two cats in a tiny town in the Sierra
Nevada foothills.
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