People believe graft is the second biggest problem in the country, behind the conflict with Russia
Most Ukrainians think that corruption has worsened over the past year, with an overwhelming majority seeing it as one of the top problems in the country, a new survey indicates.
According to a study published by Ukraine’s National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption on Friday, 69.1% of respondents believe that corruption has increased, compared to 61.2% in 2023. Among business representatives, 57% also reported a rise in corruption in 2024, up from 46.3% the year before.
The nationwide survey found that 79.9% of citizens and 76% of businesses consider corruption the second most serious problem in Ukraine, behind only the conflict with Russia (92.3% of respondents). High living costs and low incomes were cited as the third most pressing issue by 67.5% of the public, while 69.2% of businesses singled out migration as a major concern.
The judicial system was ranked as the most corrupt public sector, while businesses have sounded the alarm about widespread graft in the customs service.
Over the years, Ukraine has developed a reputation for endemic corruption, and the problem has only worsened since the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022, as the defense sector has been rocked by numerous scandals involving military procurement.
In one of the most recent controversies, the army’s chief psychiatrist, Oleg Druz, was arrested on charges of “illegal enrichment” related to earnings of more than $1 million.
Kiev’s Western backers have repeatedly expressed concern about graft, with the EU labeling corruption a major stumbling block in Ukraine’s aspirations to join the bloc. In January 2024, the US Department of Defense Office of Inspector General released a report revealing that the Pentagon was unable to fully track over $1 billion worth of weapons aid to Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin weighed in on the issue earlier this week, suggesting that Kiev “happily receives hundreds of billions from its sponsors” only to “gobble up these billions with great pleasure.”
