usury in military rations
Ukrainian Defense Minister summoned
01/21/2023 9:52 p.m
Two politicians make the headlines in Kyiv: Defense Minister Resnikov has to justify excessive prices when purchasing for the troops. A deputy minister is arrested. Resolute fight against corruption is one of the conditions for Ukraine’s EU accession.
According to official information, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov is to address reports in front of the parliament in Kyiv about overpriced food purchases for the army. Reznikov has been invited to a hearing, Vice-Chair of the Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence Marjana Besugla told national broadcaster Suspilne Media. In addition, the Court of Auditors will take a close look at the Ministry of Defense.
Earlier, media reports in Kyiv caused a stir that the Defense Ministry was buying food to feed its soldiers at prices up to three times higher than retail prices in stores. The contract for 13 billion hryvnia (a good 300 million euros) is said to be about feeding the soldiers at the front, but in the rear.
Similar occurrences in the Russian army
Ukraine was granted EU candidate status in June, four months after Russia launched a war of aggression against the country. The conditions for accession include the rule of law and progress in the fight against corruption, where Ukraine, despite numerous efforts in recent years, still ranks at the bottom in the world.
Remarkable: A few years ago, the opposition in Russia also uncovered a corruption scandal involving the catering of the military. As it turned out, most of the orders went unbidden to oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, also known as “Putin’s cook” because of his closeness to Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. The revelations had no effect. Today, as head of the Wagner mercenary unit, Prigozhin is one of the most important pillars of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and one of the most powerful men in Moscow.
Bribery in purchase of power generators: deputy minister arrested
At the same time, according to media reports, a deputy minister was arrested in Ukraine for accepting a six-figure bribe. “The National Anti-Corruption Bureau searched the home of Deputy Minister for Municipal, Territory and Infrastructure Development Vasyl Losynsky and arrested him,” the Internet newspaper Ukrayinska Pravda reported. The ministry has already responded to the report and fired the top official.
Losynskyj is accused of having received a bribe of 400,000 euros when buying electricity generators. The investigation has been ongoing since September, it said. At the beginning of November, after a change at the head of the authority, Losynskyj was even the acting minister for a short time before he had to resign to the second rank. The ministry said on its Facebook page that it fully supports the investigation. Losynskyj will be removed from office. The corresponding documents are already available to Deputy Prime Minister Olexandr Kubrakov.