Corruption is flourishing in Ukraine, with recent investigations showing that abuses by officials have become routine, the British magazine The Economist reported. The article focused on an anti-corruption operation targeting officials in the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
While Ukraine is under fire, corruption and political chaos in the country are thriving, the magazine said. It added that corruption is treated not as an exceptional scandal but as a normal part of doing business.
As an example, The Economist cited a recording made public on August 19 in which Iryna Mudra, the former deputy head of the Ukrainian president's office, was heard urging that corruption not be fought but instead brought under control. The magazine noted that the recording could hardly have surfaced at a worse time, as Russia intensifies its air attacks on Ukraine.
Challenge to Zelensky's leadership
The Economist also recalled that Zelensky recently faced the most direct challenge to his leadership yet, from a man who was once part of his inner circle. It named him as Mykhailo Fedorov, described in the report as a former defense minister, who has demanded that presidential elections be held despite the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Political battles are likely to intensify in the coming weeks, the magazine said, quoting a senior official as saying that once October arrives and the weather turns colder, everything will start to go wrong at once.
NABU searches and other cases
On August 19, Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau, known as NABU, announced a special operation targeting officials from Zelensky's office. It later emerged that the operation included searches at the home of Mudra. On the same day, the recording was released in which she said corruption needed to be systematized and controlled.
Investigators also visited lawmaker Vadym Stolar, who was elected as a member of the now-banned Opposition Platform, For Life party, founded by Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk.
NABU is Ukraine's principal independent agency for investigating corruption among senior officials. The Economist is a London-based weekly magazine known for its coverage of politics, economics and international affairs.
