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Bribery, a persistent issue in Ukraine, has seen numerous cases unveiled in 2025. From high-ranking officials to local employees, corruption permeates various levels of government and public service. Noteworthy cases include a Deputy Prosecutor in the Zaporizhzhia Region under investigation for a $40,000 bribe and a state enterprise director accused of accepting ₴3 million for land allocation. The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) have been instrumental in exposing these illicit activities. Moreover, military-related bribery cases, such as smuggling draft dodgers and issuing false medical reports for mobilization evasion, highlight the intersection of corruption and national security. The ongoing revelations underscore the critical need for comprehensive anti-corruption measures to uphold the rule of law in Ukraine.
What are recent instances of bribery involving Ukrainian officials?
Recent instances include a regional prosecutor demanding a $10,000 bribe, and the Deputy Prosecutor of Zaporizhzhia Region being investigated for a $40,000 bribe. High-value cases also involve $1 million demands by Lviv's commercial court chairmen and $85,000 by a People's Deputy. Various military officials have also been implicated in bribery related to evading mobilization and issuing false disability reports.
How have Ukrainian authorities responded to bribery cases?
The authorities, including the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), and Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), have actively investigated and detained numerous individuals involved in bribery. High-profile trials and convictions demonstrate a commitment to tackling corruption, though challenges remain given the scale of these issues.
What are common schemes of bribery related to mobilization in Ukraine?
Common schemes involve military officials and medical personnel taking bribes to issue false documentation for disability or demobilization, enabling individuals to evade service. Others have organized illegal border crossings for draft dodgers or offered "comfort tours" for evasion, with fees amounting to thousands of dollars or euros. These actions undermine Ukraine's military integrity and highlight the necessity of anti-corruption efforts in the defense sector.
Can you detail a significant bribe case involving a Ukrainian military official?
One significant case involved an Odesa military unit commander who extorted 30% of his subordinates' salaries over seven months. The case highlights the abuse of power and the detrimental effect on morale and unit cohesion. Such cases are a focus for anti-corruption entities in Ukraine, aiming to cleanse the military of corrupt practices.
What role do anti-corruption agencies play in Ukraine's bribery investigations?
Anti-corruption agencies like the NABU and SAPO play a crucial role in identifying, investigating, and prosecuting bribery cases. These agencies have been effective in uncovering schemes involving high-level officials and law enforcers, as well as municipal and regional employees. Their efforts are vital to promoting transparency and adhering to legal standards, although continuous vigilance and resources are needed to sustain the momentum against corruption.
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$150,000 to close case: NABU exposes SSU officer taking bribe. VIDEO+PHOTOS Anti-corruption authorities have charged an SSU officer with inciting a business representative to offer a bribe to law enforcement officers in order to recover money seized during a search and have the criminal proceedings dropped. 5 745 25 Previously in trend: Grafters
Army corps officials suspected of extorting money from soldiers: charged with 274,000 UAH. PHOTOS Three officials from an army corps in the Kharkiv region are suspected of extorting money from soldiers. 3 628 13 Previously in trend: Bribe-takers in military units
Demanded 100,000 UAH from subordinate for ’unhindered’ service: military personnel exposed in Dnipropetrovsk region, – National Police. PHOTOS An illegal scheme involving extortion and the acceptance of bribes by officials at one of the military units has been uncovered. In exchange for 100,000 hryvnias, they guaranteed that a subordinate would not face disciplinary action and, as a result, would retain his bonus. The suspects have... 2 023 9 Previously in trend: Bribe-takers in military units
Mayor of port city in Odesa Oblast demanded $35,000 bribe for approving construction of new power plant: he was detained – SSU. PHOTO The Security Service has detained the mayor of a town in the Odesa region who demanded bribes during the modernisation of the southern region’s energy infrastructure. 3 036 35 Previously in trend: Grafters
Drunk State Geocadastre official detained for extorting 300,000 hryvnias from farmer, - SBI. PHOTO Officers from the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), working in conjunction with the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), have exposed the head of one of the State Geocadastre’s sectors in the Kharkiv region, who demanded and received a bribe of 300,000 hryvnias from the manager of a local farm. 1 679 3 Previously in trend: Grafters
Ukrainian Armed Forces major suspected of extorting 100,000 UAH for supplying food to troops in Odesa. PHOTO A major – the head of a food depot at one of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ supply centres in Odesa – has been served with a notice of suspicion. 1 445 9 Previously in trend: Corruption in defence
SSU officer was arrested for taking $34,000 bribe to defer mobilisation. PHOTO Law enforcement officers have uncovered and put a stop to the illegal activities of a serving SSU officer and his accomplice, a businessman, who had organised a scheme involving the fictitious employment of men to secure deferrals from conscription. 4 781 21 Previously in trend: Grafters Bribery in the SSU
Demanded $1,500 from war veteran to remove him from register: TCR officer detained in Dnipro. PHOTOS The Security Service, in conjunction with the National Police, has detained an employee of one of the mobilisation departments of the TCR and SS in Dnipro, who had organised a scheme to systematically extort bribes from conscripts. 4 675 43 Previously in trend: Grafters Corruption in TCR
In Odesa, naval academy officer demanded $1,600 for admission to exam session. PHOTOS In Odesa, law enforcement officers have arrested a course officer at a maritime university who was demanding money from students in exchange for resolving issues relating to their studies. 2 980 17 Previously in trend: Grafters
In Kyiv, National Police detained two men who demanded $20,000 from wife of mobilized man for his release from TCR. PHOTOS In Kyiv, law enforcement officers detained two accomplices who demanded $20,000 from the common-law wife of a mobilized man for his "release" from a Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support (TCR and SS) and for arranging a finding that he was unfit for military service, using... 3 530 18 Previously in trend: Evasion from mobilization
Demanded $100,000 cash bribe for dismantling railway track: "UZ"official detained in Khmelnytskyi region. VIDEO&PHOTOS The deputy director of the Environmental Safety Department at JSC "Ukrzaliznytsia" has been arrested for demanding $100,000 from a representative of a granite manufacturing company in the Khmelnytskyi region. 4 364 10 Previously in trend: Grafters
Odesa region district TRC official promised to resolve AWOL issue for $10,000, he was detained. PHOTOS In the Odesa region, law enforcement officers exposed an official of a district Territorial Center for Recruitment and Social Support (TRC and SS) who, for a bribe, promised to help a serviceman avoid liability for absence without leave (AWOL) and assist with employment. 1 431 13 Previously in trend: Grafters AWOL in AFU
Two senior officials of SSU directorates in Kyiv and Rivne region exposed over $620,000 bribe. PHOTO The Internal Security Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine has detained an intermediary and two deputy heads of regional departments of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) who were trying to set up an illegal scheme. The case concerns high-ranking officials in the city of Kyiv and... 6 293 23 Previously in trend: Grafters
NABU and National Police expose judge from Kirovohrad region for taking bribe to close case. PHOTO The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), together with law enforcement agencies, have exposed a district court judge in the Kirovohrad region and his accomplice for receiving unlawful benefits. 2 337 9 Previously in trend: Grafters
200 thousand dollars and 350 thousand hryvnias seized: mother and son organised fake disability scheme in Vinnytsia region. PHOTOS A mother and son who work as doctors organised a scheme to sell fictitious disability certificates for 3,000 US dollars. 8 375 28 Previously in trend: Fake disability among prosecutors
Commander of logistics of AFU’s Air Force and head of SSU in Zhytomyr region were caught taking $320,000 bribe. PHOTOS The commander of logistics for the Ukrainian Air Force, a colonel, and the head of the Security Service of Ukraine in the Zhytomyr region were caught taking a bribe of $320,000. 13 225 76 Previously in trend: Grafters
SSU employee exposed for taking £68,000 bribe: promised to "resolve issue" of removing search warrant in TCR, - NABU. PHOTO Anti-corruption authorities have exposed and detained an employee of the Main Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine in Kyiv and Kyiv Region for bribery. 11 453 30 Previously in trend: Grafters
Volyn customs "slush fund" for December: Zhelezniak calls for reform of State Customs Service. PHOTO The State Customs Service needs reform due to widespread corruption. 12 383 47 Previously in trend: Bribe takers at customs offices
$30,000 for construction in Lutsk: NABU and SAPO expose Volyn lawmakers in corruption case. PHOTOS The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) have exposed members of the Volyn Regional Council and Lutsk City Council for allegedly receiving an illegal benefit. 2 731 11
Koriukivka district prosecutor detained while taking $2,500 bribe – Kravchenko. PHOTO Investigators of the State Bureau of Investigation, under the procedural guidance of prosecutors from the General Inspectorate of the Prosecutor General’s Office, have detained a prosecutor from the Koriukivka District Prosecutor’s Office in Chernihiv region while taking a bribe. 12 992 27 Previously in trend: Grafters Corruption in law enforcement agencies
Two bribe-givers were exposed on border with Moldova. VIDEO+PHOTOS During the day, border guards of the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi detachment recorded two attempts at bribery. 1 745 5 Previously in trend: Grafters
Demanded $7,000 for transfer to another military unit: in Donetsk region, major of Armed Forces of Ukraine was notified of suspicion - Prosecutor’s office. PHOTOS In the Donetsk region, a major, head of the financial and economic service of one of the military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was served a notice of suspicion. 1 245 10 Previously in trend: Bribery in army
Education scandal in Chernivtsi: places in postgraduate programmes were sold for $4,500. PHOTO Prosecutors in the Chernivtsi region, together with the police, exposed a scheme to sell postgraduate places in three universities at once. 3 977 23 Previously in trend: Fighting corruption in Ukraine Corruption and mobilisation Corruption in Ukraine
OPG prosecutor and lawyer solicited $3.5 million bribe to "bribe" SAPO prosecutors and HACC judges, - NABU. PHOTOS The NABU and the SAPO have exposed a prosecutor of the Prosecutor General's Office and a lawyer who offered a suspect in one of the NABU cases to provide a bribe to close the proceedings. 6 141 20 Previously in trend: Grafters
Man who had boasted of his connections in Ministry of Defence and demanded $15,000 for transferring soldier to rear detained, - Office of Prosecutor General. PHOTOS Under the procedural supervision of prosecutors from the Prosecutor General's Office, a man who offered illegal services to influence personnel decisions in the Armed Forces of Ukraine was exposed. 1 857 5 Previously in trend: Grafters
Foreign Ministry diplomat sold Ukrainian passports to Russians for leaving to EU, - SSU. PHOTO The Security Service's Counterintelligence Service and the National Police, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, exposed a scheme to "legalise" Russian citizens in the European Union. 7 571 26 Previously in trend: Foreign Ministry diplomat sold Ukrainian passports to Russians
Demanded $5,500 for transferring soldier to rear: two border guards detained in Khmelnytskyi region. PHOTOS Two border guards who demanded a bribe from a colleague from a combat unit to transfer him to the rear unit were detained and notified of suspicion in Khmelnytskyi region. 1 682 5 Previously in trend: Grafters
$6,500 for concealing AWOL case: corruption scheme blocked in Khmelnytskyi region. PHOTO Police in Khmelnytskyi have blocked another corruption scheme: a local resident demanded $6,500 in exchange for not reporting a case of AWOL. 1 251 1 Previously in trend: Grafters AWOL in AFU
Female employee of TCR in Chernihiv region detained for promising to remove draft dodger from wanted list for 20,000 UAH. PHOTO A female employee of a district territorial center of recruitment and social support in Chernihiv region demanded and received a bribe in exchange for removing from active search a conscript evading military service. 11 895 33 Previously in trend: Corruption in TCR
Company commander in Dnipropetrovsk region took bribes for concealing fact of AWOL, - National Police. PHOTO A 52-year-old company commander of a reserve battalion of a military unit demanded about 10,000 hryvnias per month for not informing the command about his subordinates' unauthorised departure from the military unit. 5 541 18 Previously in trend: Bribe-takers in military units
NABU exposes Servant of People MP over scheme to procure drones and electronic warfare systems at inflated prices. PHOTOS (updated) Today, 2 August 2025, a number of measures were taken to expose the persons involved in the commission of a corruption crime. 20 597 113 Previously in trend: Grafters
They offered $1 million bribe to police and $100,000 for contract killing of witnesses: two lawyers detained in Dnipro. PHOTOS In Dnipro, law enforcement officers have charged two lawyers who offered 1 million dollars to police officers to avoid criminal liability for their client, and 100 thousand dollars for the intentional murder of witnesses in criminal proceedings. 5 153 16 Previously in trend: Grafters
Customs raids in Ukraine: Deputy Director of State Customs Department detained for profiting from draft dodgers. PHOTOS Law enforcement carried out a large-scale operation to dismantle criminal schemes at customs. In particular, a high-ranking State Customs official was detained on bribery charges in Kyiv, and other schemes were blocked simultaneously in three border regions. 12 188 11 Previously in trend: Bribe takers at customs offices
Berdychiv mayor Orliuk detained in Zhytomyr region. Receipt of bribe under investigation. PHOTOS Berdychiv city mayor Serhii Orliuk has been detained by law enforcement on charges of bribery and extortion. 5 136 14 Previously in trend: Grafters
Prosecutor from regional prosecutor’s office detained for demanding $10,000 bribe to "resolve issue" in proceeding. PHOTO Law enforcement officers exposed a prosecutor from a regional prosecutor’s office department for soliciting an unlawful benefit. 18 737 16 Previously in trend: Fighting corruption in Ukraine Corruption in the Prosecutor’s Office
$50,000 for smuggling group of draft dodgers: soldier and his accomplice detained, - State Bureau of Investigation. PHOTO SBI officers detained and served a notice of suspicion to a serviceman from Kyiv and a resident of Kharkiv who planned to smuggle four men of military age across the state border. The total amount of the "comfort tour" was USD 50 thousand. 1 703 9 Previously in trend: Smugglers of draft evaders exposed
Together with TCR employee, he demanded bribe for "release" of mobilised soldier: intermediary will be tried in Mykolaiv, - SBI. PHOTOS The State Bureau of Investigation sent to court an indictment against a resident of Mykolaiv who, together with an employee of the local RTCR and SS, extorted a bribe from relatives of a person liable for military service. 1 742 1 Previously in trend: Bribery in army
Dnipro law enforcement officer to stand trial for taking bribe in exchange for "removing" draft dodgers’ data from TCR wanted database – SBI. PHOTO The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has completed a pre-trial investigation into a law enforcement officer from Dnipro who allegedly offered, for a fee, to delete information about draft evaders from the wanted database for military service. An indictment has been submitted to the court. 1 122 2 Previously in trend: Grafters Evasion from mobilization
He tried to bribe border guard with $1,500: man detained in Volyn while attempting illegal border crossing – SBGS. PHOTOS A citizen of Ukraine was detained at the Ustyluh checkpoint who offered a State Border Guard Service serviceman $1500 for assistance in illegal border crossing. 2 700 14 Previously in trend: Illegal border crossing
Extorted $500 from wounded serviceman for granting disability: traumatologist detained in Kramatorsk. PHOTO In Kramatorsk, a traumatologist who demanded a bribe from a serviceman for assigning a disability group was exposed. 1 844 11 Previously in trend: bribe-taking doctors
Vinnytsia region deputy demanded bribe from wife of fallen Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier in exchange for her son’s demobilization – SSU. PHOTO The Security Service and the National Police detained a deputy of a village council in Vinnytsia region who, together with a local lawyer and his accomplice, extorted money from the family of a fallen Ukrainian soldier. 8 893 27 Previously in trend: Grafters
Extorted bribes from entrepreneurs under threat of mobilisation: two law enforcement officers exposed in Odesa region - SBI. PHOTOS The SBI and the SSU exposed two law enforcement officers who forced entrepreneurs to pay bribes by threatening to mobilise their employees. 4 394 13 Previously in trend: Bribery in government Forced mobilisation
Scheme of transferring military to rear for bribes exposed: four organisers served suspicion notices - SBI. PHOTOS The State Bureau of Investigation has uncovered a scheme to illegally transfer military personnel from the front line to rear units for bribes. 2 523 22 Previously in trend: transferring military personnel to rear
Head of customs post in Lviv region, who "covered black imports" of electronics to Ukraine, detained on receiving $23,000 bribe - SSU. PHOTO The Security Service and the National Police detained the head of a customs post in Lviv region. 7 048 21 Previously in trend: Grafters
$12,000 for demobilisation: military unit official detained in Odesa. PHOTOS In Odesa, a military unit official was detained for offering to influence members of the Military Medical Commission (MMC) and help individuals to military discharge in return for a bribe. 1 722 0 Previously in trend: Forgery of MMC documents
Extorting land worth UAH 1.3 million: acting mayor and deputy detained in Rivne region. PHOTOS The acting mayor of a town in Rivne region and a member of the city council were caught taking bribes. 2 953 3 Previously in trend: Grafters
UAH 1 million for 500 exams: officials who organised large-scale bribery scheme for issuing hunting licences detained - SBI. VIDEO+PHOTOS Employees of the State Bureau of Investigation detained three officials of the Southern Interregional Forestry and Hunting Department who organised a corrupt scheme of extortion for issuing hunting licences. 9 059 22
He removed from the wanted list for $500-1000: employee of TCR was detained in Odesa for bribery. PHOTOS A 29-year-old employee of the RTCR and SS in Odesa was detained for taking a bribe. In return for money, he removed men from the wanted list. 3 408 24 Previously in trend: Grafters
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