Solutions from Ukraine: Ministry of Defense greenlights anti-corruption program for 2025-2026

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, in accordance with the Comprehensive Anti-Corruption Program for 2025-2026, has begun implementing strategic directions for combating abuse in the defense sector.

The Ministry of Defense's press service reported this.

"The Ministry of Defense has determined the policy principles for preventing and detecting corruption, measures for implementing the state anti-corruption program, and measures to eliminate identified corruption risks.

These steps are our priority for the next two years," the acting head of the Department for Preventing and Detecting Corruption of the Ministry of Defense, Colonel of Justice Serhii Stepanian, said.

According to the Ministry of Defense, systemic changes are envisaged in key areas of the department's activities based on a culture of integrity and responsibility among military officials and civil servants.

The Ministry of Defense has planned several strategic measures for 2025-2026, including:

• improving defense legislation to eliminate gaps and vulnerabilities;
• conducting a full inventory of military property and registration of rights to real estate and land;
• launching an electronic fuel use control system;
• conducting an audit and assessment of intellectual property;
• implementing transparent defense procurement mechanisms;
• creating a state system for guaranteeing the quality of defense products;
• developing an automated system for managing the housing queue for the military.

In addition, the Department for the Prevention and Detection of Corruption will monitor the effectiveness of the measures. It will conduct regular analyses of the program's implementation, and the evaluation results will be published on the ministry's official website to ensure transparency in the implementation of anti-corruption initiatives.

A comprehensive training system is also being introduced, covering advanced training courses and specialized training on anti-corruption legislation.

The relevant order of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine approved the Anti-Corruption Program for 2025-2026.

It should be noted that the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine's procurement agency, "State Operator of Logistics," saved UAH 2.26 million on lubricants for Ukraine's armed forces in 2025.

For reference:

In December 2023, the Security Service of Ukraine, in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense and with the assistance of the Ministry of Defense, exposed a corruption scheme to purchase ammunition for Ukraine's armed forces for almost UAH 1.5 billion. The head of the Main Department of the Ministry of Defense, who is suspected in this case, was taken into custody without bail until February 19, 2024.

In addition, law enforcement officers announced a new suspicion of the former Deputy Minister of Defense and the head of the department for embezzling almost 950 million UAH on low-quality bulletproof vests.

Also, on January 21 of last year, the media reported that the Ministry of Defense purchases food for military personnel at two to three times the price of food in stores in Kyiv.

Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Viacheslav Shapovalov resigned due to a scandal regarding the purchase of food for the military.

In addition, law enforcement officers exposed the former Deputy Minister of Defense in another corruption episode: in 2022, together with accomplices, he purchased another batch of low-quality bulletproof vests for the Ukrainian military, squandering over 948 million budget hryvnias.