Since 2022, law enforcement agencies in Ukraine have documented over 70 cases of military personnel detained for corruption crimes, indicating systemic issues within the country’s military sector
According to official data from the Office of the Prosecutor General, from the beginning of 2022 up to April 2025, 78 servicemen have been detained for accepting illicit benefits, of whom 30 have already received court verdicts. According to information provided by the Prosecutor General’s Office press service in response to an information request from Ukrainska Pravda, the criminal cases involved Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which stipulates liability for offering, promising, or receiving improper benefits. This demonstrates active efforts to detect and combat corruption among military personnel, as such crimes undermine combat readiness and trust in military institutions. Specifically, between 2022 and the first quarter of 2025, courts have already delivered 30 verdicts regarding detained servicemen under this article. This may indicate an increase in anti-corruption activities and the state's efforts to purify the military sector from dishonest elements. A particularly notable incident occurred in May 2025: law enforcement detained acting commander of the unmanned systems battalion of the 155th Separate Mechanized Brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Sviatoslav Shumskyi. According to law enforcement agencies, the officer demanded bribes from subordinates, allegedly for awarding fictitious allowances for participation in combat on the front lines. He was detained with the possibility of an pre-trial measure — detention at a guardhouse for up to 60 days, with an alternative of a bail of 49 million hryvnias. This case is just one among many that illustrate how serious the problem of corruption is within Ukraine’s military structures. Implementing measures to counteract corruption must become a priority for the state as a whole, since combating bribery and abuse within the military sphere is a key element in ensuring national defense and maintaining public trust in the armed forces.