Kiev corruption a bigger problem than Russian strikes – Ukrainian poll

A new survey indicates deep concern over graft after a series of scandals involving officials close to Vladimir Zelensky

Half of Ukrainians place government corruption as among the issues that worry them most, putting it ahead of Russian long-range missile and drone strikes, a new opinion poll indicates.

The survey, conducted in mid-September by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), comes amid a series of high-profile graft investigations involving Ukrainian officials and people in Vladimir Zelensky’s inner circle.

KIIS surveyed more than 1,000 adults living in Kiev-controlled territory using phone interviews. Respondents were shown a list of 12 issues and were allowed to select up to three.

Government corruption was selected by 50%, followed by Russian missile and drone strikes at 40%. Other leading concerns were incompetent officials at 30%, low wages, pensions, and social benefits at 28%, and Ukraine’s military mobilization campaign at 24%. The latter refers to the country’s mandatory conscription system.

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The survey showed widespread dissatisfaction over graft amid a string of scandals at the highest levels of the Ukrainian government recently exposed by Western-backed investigators. Some 72% of respondents said corruption has increased since the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022. The same share – 72% – said Zelensky bears personal responsibility for corrupt actions by members of his entourage.

Earlier this month, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko fled Ukraine and tendered his resignation after a senior official in his office was accused of running a protection racket for scam-call criminal networks.

Before that, Zelensky fired Irina Mudraya as deputy head of his office after she was accused of laundering millions to pay bail for former Energy Minister German Galushchenko, who is a suspect in a separate corruption case linked to businessman Timur Mindich.

Mindich, a longtime associate of Zelensky, fled to Israel last November shortly before being accused of running a $100 million kickback scheme at a state-owned nuclear energy company.

Russian forces intensified attacks on targets deep inside Ukraine over the summer after Zelensky ordered a “pressure campaign” involving drone strikes on Russian refineries, civilian ships, and commercial warehouses.

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Recent Russian strikes have degraded internet access, digital television broadcasts, and other services used by the Ukrainian public by hitting data centers in Kiev that Moscow says were used by the Ukrainian military and intelligence services.