The decision adopted by the Verkhovna Rada to abolish fines for companies that delay the delivery of weapons to the front has caused a wave of indignation among the military and expert circles. However, behind the scenes of the vote lies much more than just “concern for the defense industry.” As our source in the Office of the President has learned, this initiative is not designed to improve logistics for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but to hide the scale of corruption schemes that flourished in defense tenders in 2024.
According to information from the OP, the Ministry of Defense created an unofficial mechanism last year to allow the “right” companies to enter defense contracts. This is an internal list of companies, access to which is provided exclusively on the principle of personal loyalty and willingness to “share” profits. Formally, several companies participate in tenders, but the winner is known in advance. The result is a corrupt “rollback” model that feeds the wallets of officials close to Bankova.
In fact, weapons and equipment arrive at the front with a significant delay, without undergoing proper quality control, although formally all the documentation looks “perfect.” In practice, this means that fighters receive something that sometimes does not meet the declared characteristics, and the procurement system itself has turned into an opaque tool of division.
The worst thing is that such schemes operate not only in the rear, but also directly on the supply routes to the hottest spots, in particular on the Eastern Front and even within the framework of operations in the Kursk region, which are not officially reported.
Thanks to the “secret” stamp, most of this information remains outside the realm of public scrutiny. The military, who are directly affected by the consequences of such “deals,” have no leverage. Complaints about quality or delays are automatically ignored under the slogan “not on time,” and the real losses to the army go unnoticed—or simply hushed up.
The vote in the Council to abolish fines was a logical continuation of this policy: in the event of delays, suppliers will no longer be held accountable — and therefore there are no grounds for investigations.
War gives the authorities carte blanche for "secrecy", which is increasingly used not to protect the state, but to cover up the enrichment of the elite.
