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284

Ukraine says it has uncovered major arms corruption (www.bbc.com)

submitted 6 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

33 comments fedilink hide all child comments

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".

all 34 comments

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[–] [email protected] 98 points 6 months ago (5 children)

Well the silver lining is that Zelensky is trying to clean this up

[–] [email protected] 44 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Ukraine is trying to become part of the EU. In order to do that, they need to show compliance with corruption laws.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 6 months ago

I think it also boosts morale. People will be very reluctant to support the war, if they see that most of their efforts, money, or lives are wasted on corruption.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago

Yeah he ran on corruption but his approval ratings weren't doing the best before the war started.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

wasn't he trying to make corruption be treason? how that's going?

[–] [email protected] 56 points 6 months ago

Neither is he the sole leader of Ukraine, nor is he a dictator or something the likes, Ukraine still has a parliament that needs to ratify such decisions.

[+] [email protected] -31 points 6 months ago (3 children)

Yeah, he's trying to clean it up by banning opposition parties and consolidating news under his government's control 🙄

You can be on Ukraine's side against Russia's illegal invasion without pretending that Zelinski is perfect, you know..

[–] [email protected] 39 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (2 children)

All of those opposition parties banned have explicitly been in favor of Russia annexing Ukraine. Literally every one.

Not only that, you make it sound like he did this by himself. There has been a ton of parliamentary agreement and has also been upheld in numerous appeals (incl by judges not having any associations with Zelensky).

I’m by no means a “Zelensky-stan” and have my own criticisms, but either you are seriously being misled or are being malicious/spreading misinformation.

Not only that, Ukraine runs a parliamentary government. There is no “opposition party”. Americans for some reason always view foreign government political parties through the lens of American politics. This is not like the government banning Republicans. This is like banning the “Socialists for the release of Alaska to Russia” party.

[+] [email protected] -10 points 6 months ago (1 children)

you make it sound like he did this by himself.

He is the public face of the government. Of course he didn't do everything by himself, good or bad. Everybody knows that already, it's a stupid point to make. He's chosen to take on the job of being his governments public face, and statements about government being directed at him personally is just part of the job.

Trump wasn't personally throwing children in jail, but when people talk about the border detentions that happened during his presidency, we still say Trump did it.

Obama didn't personally approve every drone strike, he was backed up by plenty of other politicians, but we still say Obama increased the drone strikes.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Yes, but the insinuation is that he’s using war powers to permanently institute himself in charge using only his powers, which isn’t the case. Effectively I’m countering the “he’s a dictator” undertone.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 6 months ago

I didn't get that insinuation at all.

Do you see the same insinuations with the statement "Obama increased drone strikes"?

I'm sure you'd happily support the insinuation that trump was a dictator if something similar were said about him.

[+] [email protected] -11 points 6 months ago (2 children)

All of those opposition parties banned have explicitly been in favor of Russia annexing Ukraine. Literally every one.

That's not true. One pro-russian co-founder of the biggest opposition party was expelled and they publicly condemned Putin's invasion. Zelinski still banned the party.

There has been a ton of parliamentary agreement

Amongst his and other corrupt right wing parties glad to be unopposed

upheld in numerous appeals (incl by judges not having any associations with Zelensky).

This the same Ukrainian court system that was notorious for immense corruption up to and including the day before the invasion?

I’m by no means a “Zelensky-stan”

Then why are you repeating the untrue talking points of him and his government?

You are seriously being misled or are being malicious/spreading misinformation.

Nope, you've got that backwards.

Ukraine runs a parliamentary government. There is no “opposition party”.

There absolutely is. Just because there is a parliament doesn't mean that it's all one party or that there are no parties.

Americans for some reason always view foreign government political parties through the lens of American politics.

I'm a Dane. Here in Denmark we have a parliamentary government too. We ABSOLUTELY have opposition parties.

This is not like the government banning Republicans.

No, this is more like the UK Tories Banning Labour, the Lib Dems and all other parties to the left of them.

This is like banning the “Socialists for the release of Alaska to Russia” party.

Again with regurgitating the untrue government propaganda 🙄

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago

That's not true. One pro-russian co-founder of the biggest opposition party was expelled and they publicly condemned Putin's invasion. Zelinski still banned the party.

Okay. I’ll bite. Which party?

[–] [email protected] -2 points 6 months ago

Hilarious to think that Parliamentary democracies don't have oppositions, the only difference is that it's usually a coalition or several rather than a single party. You don't deserve those downvotes, but Ukraine is apparantly beyond criticism.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 6 months ago (3 children)

Zelensky used to be a comedian, which was his first instinct and was his desire. He wanted to make people laugh.

These other politicians wanted power so they came into this life. to control people and gain power and influence.

If there is ever a chance to clean out some of this corruption , Zelensky seems to be the guy to trust.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

The guy who made a show where he becomes president clearly had no political ambitions.

[+] [email protected] -18 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, because pretending to play a piano with your dick means you can't be corrupt and newcomers to politics aren't at all vulnerable to corrupting influence from establishment figures teaching them how the system works 🙄

The myth that an outsider with no experience in politics will automatically govern in less corrupt ways is just that: a myth.

On the contrary, someone with no proven track record of honesty in public office is a huge gamble, especially given that the risk of taking the wrong advice previously mentioned.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 months ago (1 children)

played piano with his dick Oof Alex Jones listener detected. I sure have noticed recently the right wing trolls must have just found lemmy.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Next you'll say Germany was wrong for banning the Nazi party after WWII.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

That's not anywhere near comparable and you know it.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago

Good work ukraine!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 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!