The latest corruption scandal in Ukraine has made international headlines. And it should – corruption is destructive, immoral, and it weakens any country from within.
What happened:
According to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), senior officials and businessmen ran a scheme that demanded 10-15% kickbacks on contracts intended to protect Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Investigators conducted high-profile searches, uncovered large amounts of cash, and released audio recordings of officials discussing the “laundering” of funds – a case the Financial Times called the largest corruption scandal since the start of the full-scale invasion.
But three important truths often get lost in the noise:
1. Corruption exists everywhere.
Not in “some places,” not in “Eastern Europe,” not only in “developing countries.”
Every democracy – from the United States to France to Japan – confronts corruption. The real difference is not whether corruption occurs, but whether institutions are strong enough to uncover it and prosecute it.
The fact that Ukraine’s biggest wartime corruption scandal was exposed by Ukraine’s own anti-corruption institutions is not bad news. It is evidence that Ukraine’s institutions work.
2. Ukraine has made enormous progress.
Since the Revolution of Dignity, Ukraine has built some of the strongest anti-corruption institutions in Europe: NABU, SAPO, and HACC (The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine).
Ukraine has also shown one of the best improvements globally in the Corruption Perceptions Index. Since 2014, Ukraine has gained 10 points – the highest increase among current EU candidate states.
Ukrainian investigators are pursuing high-level cases, including against people close to power. That is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of institutional strength.
Yes, Ukraine still has a long way to go. But it is fighting corruption openly and improving every year. The fact that we regularly hear about NABU, SBU, and other agencies uncovering corruption schemes is a sign of progress.
During a full-scale war – under blackouts, missile strikes, and existential pressure – Ukrainian investigators are pursuing high-level cases, including against people close to power. That is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of institutional strength. It shows that Ukraine is moving in the right direction.
Corrupt schemes that once hid in the shadows are now being exposed in broad daylight.
3. Support for Ukraine must not be tied to corruption narratives.
This is one of the Kremlin’s favorite propaganda lines: “Don’t help Ukraine – it’s corrupt.”
Meanwhile, Russia remains one of the most corrupt states on earth – a mafia with nuclear weapons, where corruption is not an anomaly but the governing system itself. According to Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, Russia scored 22 points, far below Ukraine’s 35.
Ukraine is fighting corruption and a genocidal invasion. Russia, by contrast, is exporting corruption as a weapon: buying influence, spreading disinformation, and trying to convince the world that helping Ukraine is somehow “wasteful.”
It is not.
Supporting Ukraine is about defending freedom, security, democracy, and the international order that keeps Europe safe. Corruption must be confronted – and Ukraine’s institutions are confronting it. But using corruption as a pretext to cut support only serves Russia’s interests.
The views expressed in this opinion article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post.