Journalists and activists ask MPs to help deal with corruption scandals with weapons
Journalists, volunteers and public figures are appealing to the parliamentary committees on national security and defence and the anti-corruption committee to hold open committee meetings on the arms supply scandals that erupted at the end of last year.
According to Censor.NET, the appeal was signed by more than 20 people.
It concerns the situation around the supply of low-quality 120- and 82-calibre mines, as well as the transfer of UAH 23 billion from the Ministry of Defence to the State Border Guard Service.
As a reminder, in December, journalists published stories and materials about defective 120- and 82-calibre mines produced by Ukrainian plants. The resonance from the coverage led to the military filing complaints about the defective mines in December, although the problems had been present since autumn.
In particular, the journalists found that the mines deviated from the aiming point by 100-600 metres in range; there were mines that failed to exit the mortar barrel; mines that failed to hit the target; mines that fell on the flight path at a distance of 10-150 metres from the mortar; when the sight was changed, the mine incorrectly changed its range; and isolated cases of mines failing to exit the tube and burning up the powder in the barrel.
The journalists also have information that representatives of at least two ministries insisted on contracting Ukrainian manufacturers, although the first inspections showed that the factories were not ready for such production.
The second scandal was caused by the transfer of 23 billion hryvnias to the State Border Guard Service for the purchase of ammunition from a particular company, at the suggestion of the Ministry of Defence. This step was taken when the Defence Procurement Agency already had contracts for this money, but was waiting for the contractors' warehouses to be inspected to prevent disruption of supplies. Given that the announced date of delivery of the ammunition by the Polish company is 2026, such actions raise suspicions of lobbying certain interests.
"In this regard, we appeal to the leadership of the Committees on National Security and Defence and Anti-Corruption Policy to hold public meetings of the committees on this issue, as well as to initiate the creation of a temporary investigative commission to investigate the above facts," the letter says.
The letter was signed by
- Tetiana Nikolaienko, journalist at Censor.NET, who regularly covers corruption; member of the PAC of the MoD of the first convocation.
- Anastasiia Shuba, volunteer, deputy head of the Public Anti-Corruption Council at the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
- Maksym Kostetskyi, lawyer, volunteer, head of the NGO "Policy Formation Centre".
- Bohdan Butkevych, journalist, TV presenter (Censor.NET, Radio Kyiv, Showbisyky).
- Yulia Kyrienko-Merinova, special correspondent for TSN, 1+1 TV channel.
- Yurii Nikolov, editor of "Nashi Hroshi" website.
- Inna Bilak, journalist, correspondent for "Today", Ukraina TV channel (2018-2022).
- Yevhen Buderatskyi, deputy editor-in-chief of "Ukrainska Pravda".
- Bihus.Info.
- Iryna Herasymova, editor-in-chief of Channel 5.
- Yurii Hudymenko, war veteran, head of the NGO MRIIA.
- Vitaliy Ulybin, editor-in-chief of "Sil.Media" and "Poltavska Hvylia".
- Olena Trehub, executive director of the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO).
- Hennadii Popenko, actor, military man.
- Yulia Zabelina, political commentator at NV Radio.
- Anti-Corruption Action Centre.
- Sevgil Musayeva, editor-in-chief of UP.
- Andrii Borovyk, executive director of Transparency International Ukraine.
- Maryna Danyliuk-Yarmolaieva, journalist, author of the YouTube channels CENSOR.NET and Showbisyky.
- Yevheniia Mazur, special correspondent for LIGA.net.
- Maria Berlinska, volunteer, head of the Aerial Reconnaissance Support Centre.
- Oleh Symoroz is a veteran of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a participant in the Russian-Ukrainian war.
