
yahoo!news
5 Ukrainian officials arrested over theft of $40 million in war funds as Ukraine corruption persists
FOX NEWS: Five Ukrainian officials were arrested this weekend on accusations of stealing nearly $40 million in funds meant to purchase military equipment for the war against Russia.
Ukraine's security service said members of the defense ministry conspired with members of a Ukrainian arms firm to embezzle the funds, which were meant to purchase 100,000 mortar shells. The allegations come amid division in the U.S. over whether to send more aid to Ukraine, with some critics pointing to Ukraine's longtime struggles with corruption.
The five individuals arrested face up to 12 years in prison if found guilty. Ukraine's prosecutor general says the $39.6 million has since been seized and returned to the defense budget.
Accusations from Ukraine say defense officials organized the payment to Lviv Arsenal, a defense contract firm, to secure the delivery of artillery shells. The ordnance never arrived, however, and the funds were instead transferred to accounts belonging to the defense officials and members of the firm.
Corruption has been a longstanding issue in Ukraine, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy winning election on an anti-graft campaign even before Russia's invasion in 2022.
This fall, however, an advisor to Zelenskyy said the government had suffered "reputational damage" on the world stage for its sluggish efforts to battle corruption.
One aide to Zelensky told Time Magazine in October that "People are stealing like there’s no tomorrow."
Corruption has been a longstanding issue in Ukraine, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy winning election on an anti-graft campaign even before Russia's invasion in 2022.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's efforts to push back Russia's invasion have largely stalled. A Ukrainian counteroffensive has achieved a few slim victories, but has failed to achieve a major breakthrough against Russian lines.
Ukraine's most significant successes relate to its grain exports, which have resumed despite Russian efforts. Ukrainian officials have touted their campaign against Russia's Black Sea Fleet.
Zelenskyy highlighted the efforts in several speeches during his foreign state visits in the final months of 2023, claiming the Russian fleet "is no longer capable of operating in the western part of the Black Sea and is gradually retreating from Crimea."
In World
-
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants Europe to become even more energy independent from Russia in the wake of the Baltic states' disconnection from Russia's power grid and suggested the Middle East and North Africa as possible suppliers
-
The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania completed a switch from Russia's electricity grid to the EU's system on Sunday, severing Soviet-era ties amid heightened security after the suspected sabotage of several subsea cables and pipelines.
-
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky examined a once-classified map of his country's vast rare earth metal deposits in an interview with Reuters on Friday, signaling an attempt to appeal to former U.S. President Donald Trump's deal-making instincts.
-
Former President Donald J. Trump has reportedly held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin regarding a possible end to the war in Ukraine, according to a report by the New York Post. The report, which did not specify the timing of the call or whether it was acknowledged by Russian sources, adds another layer of intrigue to Trump's often ambiguous stance on the conflict.
Leave a review