Wars cause destruction, displacement, and ruin for most people, but they are an opportunity for investment and wealth for others. They are the ideal environment for corruption and the preferred playground for blood and arms dealers. What are the aspects of corruption in the Ukraine war?

In this regard, it was stated in the “Shabakat” program (15/1/2023) that during this war Ukraine spends 55 million dollars a day to buy food and basic supplies for the soldiers, while the press accuses the Ministry of Defense of corruption because it signed a contract to buy food products for the army worth 324 million euros. , with prices set "two to three times higher" than retail prices.

For example, the ministry buys an egg for 17 UAH, while its price in any supermarket in the capital does not exceed 7 UAH. A kilogram of potatoes that Ukrainian soldiers will order will cost 22 UAH, while its price in grocery stores in Kyiv is 9 UAH.

Dismissals and resignations

Against the backdrop of corruption in the Ukraine war, it is mentioned that more than 12 officials left their positions among those who were dismissed and resigned. The government dismissed the heads of the regions of Dnipro, Zaporizhia, Sumy and Kherson, in addition to the capital, Kyiv.

Deputy Defense Minister Yachislav Shapovalov also resigned, and his ministry described the corruption allegations against it as "incorrect and baseless".

As for Kirill Tymoshenko, deputy head of Zelensky's office, he resigned after being accused of using army resources and expensive cars, and Vasily Luzinsky, deputy minister of municipal development, was sacked and arrested on charges of taking a bribe of $400,000 to buy generators at inflated prices.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to fight corruption, ordered travel bans on military officials and prevented travel for any unofficial purpose, and said, "Today the people saw a set of decisions regarding personnel, we will continue to take appropriate steps ... Any internal issues that hinder the state are destined to be removed, and we will continue to remove them. This is fair." "It is necessary for our defense, it helps our rapprochement with Europe. We need a strong country, and that's what Ukraine will be."

How did the Arabs react?

The Arab tweeters interacted intensely with these resignations and dismissals. The activist Nour wrote, "This news must pass unnoticed... so that the European peoples do not know what they spend their money on."

As for tweeter Hassan, he said, "There is great corruption in Ukraine, but it does not reach the level of corruption in Russia. At least the Ukrainians send food to the soldiers on the fronts, but in Russia they steal the price of food... They even give salaries, food and equipment to non-existent forces."

Activist Jassim commented, "The administrative corruption spread in the Russian-speaking regions was one of the reasons for Russia's military operation, and this was evident during the past two days through this mass number of resignations in the government."

As for Dr. Salim al-Dulaimi, he wrote, "What is happening in Ukraine today is the best evidence that the war was the cause of the emergence of many cases of corruption in this country, although the countries of Eastern Europe were and still suffer from corruption for decades."

It is reported that even before the war, Ukraine was considered the second most corrupt country in Europe after Russia, and Transparency International ranked it 122 out of 180 countries in 2021, but after the war, fighting corruption was no longer a priority and independent anti-corruption bodies were obstructed.