Suspected corruption in the Ukrainian army

According to official information, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov is to address reports in front of the parliament in Kyiv about overpriced food purchases for the army. Reznikov has been invited to a hearing, Vice-Chairman of the Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Reconnaissance Marjana Besugla told national broadcaster Suspilne Media on Saturday. In addition, the Court of Auditors should take a close look at the Ministry of Defence.

Earlier, media reports in Kyiv caused a stir that the Defense Ministry was buying food to feed its soldiers at prices up to three times higher than retail prices in stores. The contract for 13 billion hryvnia (a good 300 million euros) is said to be about feeding the soldiers at the front, but in the rear.

Ukraine was granted EU candidate status in June, four months after Russia launched a war of aggression against the country. The conditions for accession include the rule of law and progress in the fight against corruption, where Ukraine, despite numerous efforts in recent years, still ranks at the bottom in the world.

Remarkable: A few years ago, the opposition in Russia also uncovered a corruption scandal involving the catering of the military. As it turned out, most of the orders went unbidden to oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, also known as “Putin’s cook” because of his closeness to Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. The revelations had no effect. Today, as head of the Wagner mercenary unit, Prigozhin is one of the most important pillars of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and one of the most powerful men in Moscow.