Ukraine's security service accuses senior officials of trying to steal about $40m in an order for mortar shells.

Ukraine’s security service says it has uncovered corruption in an arms purchase by the military worth about $40m (£31m).

The SBU said five senior people in the defence ministry and at an arms supplier were being investigated.

It said the defence officials signed a contract for 100,000 mortar shells in August 2022.

Payment was made in advance, with some funds transferred abroad, but no arms were ever provided.

Corruption has been a major stumbling block in Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union.

The SBU said an investigation had “exposed” officials of the ministry of defence and managers of arms supplier Lviv Arsenal, “who stole nearly 1.5 billion hryvnias in the purchase of shells”.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldBEnglish
    5·
    10 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    The SBU said an investigation had “exposed” officials of the ministry of defence and managers of arms supplier Lviv Arsenal, “who stole nearly 1.5 billion hryvnias in the purchase of shells”.

    “According to the investigation, former and current high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Defence and heads of affiliated companies are involved in the embezzlement,” it said.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cited the fight against corruption as one of his main priorities when he came to power in 2019.

    The latest allegations come as Republicans in the United States push back on President Joe Biden’s efforts to send more aid to Ukraine.

    In August, President Zelensky fired all the officials in charge of military recruitment to end a system in which some people were being allowed to escape conscription.

    Ukraine was ranked 116th out of 180 countries in a 2022 corruption perceptions index by campaigning and research organisation Transparency International.

    The original article contains 336 words, the summary contains 150 words. Saved 55%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!