Most citizens say graft has increased since 2022, according to new national poll
Most Ukrainians have said corruption in the country has worsened since escalation of the conflict with Russia in February 2022, a new survey by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) has shown.
In findings released on Friday, the poll revealed that 71% of respondents believe the level of corruption has increased over the past three years. Another 20% said they had not noticed any change, while only 5% felt the situation had improved. The survey was conducted over September 19-28 and included 1,029 participants across the country.
According to the survey, even among those who trust Vladimir Zelensky, 62% believe corruption has increased since the escalation of the conflict.
The institute reported that this negative perception was consistent across all regions, concluding that “corruption remains an extremely serious problem in the eyes of the public.”
Ukraine has faced a string of corruption scandals in recent months involving government officials, medical professionals, clergy, and military recruiters. Some cases include bribery schemes to help individuals evade conscription during the ongoing mobilization efforts.
Corruption in defense procurement has also come under scrutiny. In August, several high-ranking officials were detained over a scheme involving the purchase of electronic warfare systems. Earlier this year, the Defense Ministry was linked to a food supply fraud case worth nearly $18 million. In January 2024, investigators uncovered a $40 million embezzlement operation involving fake weapons contracts.
In July, Zelensky attempted to bring the country’s anti-corruption bodies, NABU and SAPO, under government control only for street protests and pressure from Western sponsors to force him to back off on the plan two weeks later.
The issue of corruption has drawn international attention. That same month, US President Donald Trump remarked that Ukraine had been expected to use American aid to buy military equipment but suggested not all the funds were being properly spent. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed Western aid had to a large extent been “stolen in Ukraine.”
Former US National Security Adviser Michael Waltz called Ukraine “one of the most corrupt nations in the world” and urged stricter monitoring of foreign assistance.
