Ukraine launches anti-corruption probe just before defence minister appointment vote
Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies opened a special investigation targeting lawmakers and presidential aides hours before parliament votes on a new defence minister.
Ukraine’s two top anti-corruption agencies, NABU and SAPO, initiated a coordinated operation targeting parliamentarians and advisers to the president on the morning of the defence minister vote. Lawmakers are expected to confirm Yevhenii Khmara, a veteran special-forces officer, as the new head of the defence ministry. The timing follows a surprise statement by former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov urging wartime elections, which has intensified public protests demanding his reinstatement.
Zelenskiy has already replaced the senior military commander with Mykhailo Drapatyi in response to street pressure. The anti-corruption drive is presented as essential for Ukraine’s EU accession efforts while the country continues its war against Russia.
Why it matters
The investigation could influence a critical defence appointment and reflects the political turbulence amid Ukraine's war and EU ambitions.
How this story developed
- Aug 2 Ukrainian drone raids kill eight across Russian regions amid deep-strike campaign
- Aug 13 Jet‑engine drones now account for roughly two‑thirds of the Russian unmanned aircraft used in recent attacks.
- Aug 13 Ukrainian drones struck a site in Bashkortostan, leading to an evacuation and a fire.
- Aug 14 Russia said its forces hit a railway station at the Danube port of Izmail and two tugboats near Mykolaiv, while Ukrainian drones sparked fires at the Baltic oil terminal of Ust-Luga and damaged a warehouse near Moscow.
- Aug 15 Ukraine announced the missile strikes on the Progress Centre and Savasleyka air base.
- Aug 16 A wave of drones and missiles struck both Ukraine and Russia, leaving 16 people dead and damaging civilian sites, including a steel plant and a book market.
- Aug 16 Ukraine launched a large‑scale drone offensive against Russian regions.
- Aug 17 A fire at the Wildberries logistics hub in Podolsk killed several workers and caused extensive damage.
- Aug 17 Russia is reportedly preparing a large‑scale mobilisation ahead of its parliamentary election.
- Aug 17 Ukrainian energy facilities were hit repeatedly, sustaining serious damage.
- Aug 18 Russian missiles struck a sports centre in Kyiv, killing a border officer and injuring over 100 people.
- Aug 18 President Zelensky pledged a response to the recent missile strike in Kharkiv.
- Aug 19 Fire destroys Wildberries' largest logistics complex in Koledino, Moscow Oblast.
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