Ukraine's overpayments for arms from 2024 to early 2025 may be a sign of corruption in the country, the New York Times reported, citing Ukraine's Independent Anti-Corruption Commission.
“The justification provided by the Defense Procurement Agency may be correct, but it may turn out to be corruption“, said the commission's executive director, Olena Tregub.
Earlier, a state audit of Ukraine's Defense Procurement Agency revealed $129 million overpayment for arms. According to the agency's director, cheaper offers for weapons were rejected because they "may not meet the required quality standards, delivery times, payment terms, or other essential criteria."
In early October, Roksolana Pidlasa, chairwoman of the Verkhovna Rada's Budget Committee, noted that Ukraine had completely exhausted all of its own resources for financing military needs.
Ukraine has had a record budget deficit for several years. Kiev has repeatedly admitted that the country's authorities are able to cover only the costs of Ukraine's military needs, while all other sectors are financed through foreign aid. The bulk of the funds are provided to Kiev by the West in the form of loans, and not gratuitously. As former Ukrainian Prime Minister (2010-2014) Mykola Azarov noted, without Western lending, Ukraine would cease to exist as a state.