Ukraine’s anti-corruption strike: National Guard officers and a Servant of the People MP caught taking bribes for drones
Anti-graft agencies have exposed a scheme of drone bribery involving a ruling party MP and National Guard officers. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that those responsible will face justice after investigators revealed how vital military supplies were turned into a source of personal profit.
Anti-graft bodies uncover bribery network in drone supplies
On 2 August that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) briefed Zelenskyy about a large scheme involving inflated contracts for drones and electronic warfare systems. This was reported by NABU and Zelenskyy.
A source from law enforcement told Liga that the MP implicated is Oleksii Kuznietsov from Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party.
Zelenskyy confirmed in a statement that “a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine,” heads of local administrations and National Guard servicemembers were caught taking bribes connected to drone contracts.
He called such behavior immoral and damaging, adding that full accountability is necessary. Zelenskyy said he thanked the anti-corruption agencies for their work and said that he expected fair verdicts in the case.
Servant of the People party suspends Kuznietsov
Servant of the People announced that MP Oleksii Kuznietsov’s membership in the faction will be suspended for the duration of the investigation into the exposed drone bribery scheme.
Internal investigation targets National Guard officers
Zelenskyy also said that Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko had started an internal investigation in the National Guard after the exposure of the scheme. Klymenko announced that only combat officers will lead logistics units from now on. He promised to make the results public. According to Klymenko, the commander of the National Guard Oleksandr Pivnenko has already suspended servicemembers allegedly involved in the drone bribery scandal.
Klymenko assured that new safeguards will be introduced in the National Guard to prevent such schemes. He said that a new internal control unit will monitor service activity, working independently and professionally. The team is being formed from specialists who passed checks for integrity and professional competence.