2024-01-28T05:31:01+00:00
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/ The Ukrainian Security Service said on Saturday that it had uncovered a corruption operation related to the Ukrainian army’s purchase of weapons with a total value equivalent to about 40 million dollars.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense confirmed the occurrence of this plan, which will have a huge impact in a country that was invaded by Russia nearly two years ago.
The struggle to root out rampant corruption in the country remains a major issue as Ukraine seeks European Union membership.
The Ukrainian Security Service said the investigation “revealed that Defense Ministry officials and directors of the Lviv Arsenal arms supply company stole approximately 1.5 billion hryvnia in the purchase of shells.”
He added, “According to the investigation, former and current high-ranking officials in the Ministry of Defense and heads of related companies are involved in the embezzlement.” He said that the embezzlement included the purchase of 100,000 mortar shells for the army.
Corruption within the military is a particularly sensitive issue in Ukraine as it tries to maintain wartime morale and make its case for joining the 27-nation European Union.
Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov was dismissed last September over various corruption cases despite having a good reputation for representing Ukraine in its discussions with Western allies.