On 30 July 2025, the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO) hosted a Defence Talks discussion titled “What’s Really Happening in the Defence Sector? Six-Month Report of the Public Anti-Corruption Council of the Ministry of Defence.” Around 40 participants — including Ukrainian government officials, representatives of foreign embassies, and civil society — gathered to assess the current situation in the defence sector through the lens of the Council’s work.
Speakers included:
- Serhii Stepanyan, Acting Head of the Anti-Corruption Department at the Ministry of Defence;
- Nadiia Bihun, Chair of the Supervisory Board of the State Operator For Non-Lethal Acquisition;
- Stanislav Haider, Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Defence Procurement Agency;
- Yurii Hudymenko, Chair of the Public Anti-Corruption Council of the MoD;
- Tetiana Nikolaienko, Deputy Chair of the Public Anti-Corruption Council of the MoD, Senior Researcher at NAKO;
- Oleh Chernov, Secretary of the Public Anti-Corruption Council of the MoD;
- Anastasiia Shuba, Member of the Public Anti-Corruption Council of the MoD.
In his speech, Yurii Hudymenko presented the top nine cases addressed by the current composition of the Council, highlighted its core operating principles, and outlined plans for the next six months. According to him, the Council will continue analyzing problems in the defence sector, communicating with all relevant stakeholders, and maintaining a neutral, professional stance — something Ukrainian society increasingly demands.
“There are 15 people in the Council, and we are all very different. We come from different social backgrounds and organizations and have various professional experiences. I’m proud that the Council includes veterans of this war — people who’ve seen firsthand the problems with corruption, logistics, and procurement in the army. I’m glad we also have journalists, experts, and people with legal and economic training. Even during team formation, we aimed to prepare for every possible challenge,” said Hudymenko.
He also shared the Council’s expectations for newly appointed Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal — primarily, to establish effective cooperation with the Council and bring order to management processes within the Ministry of Defence.
Since the beginning of the year, the Council has received 23 reports from the public, according to Council Secretary Oleh Chernov. He emphasized that none of the reports were ignored — the Council has already submitted over 100 official requests to the Ministry of Defence and law enforcement agencies. Chernov also reminded the audience about the launch of a hotline for reporting corruption in the defence sector.
Council member Anastasiia Shuba shared insights from field visits to military units, during which she assessed the quality of clothing and food supplies. “These visits are not only about inspections. They also aim to explain to unit commanders and logistics officers how to submit complaints and what to do if they receive substandard goods. I’m proud that in the brigades we’ve visited, some practices for accepting food supplies have already changed,” she noted.
The Council’s Deputy Chair and NAKO Senior Researcher Tetiana Nikolaienko presented an analysis of corruption risks in procurement carried out by the State Operator For Non-Lethal Acquisition. She noted that 95% of logistics procurements are now conducted via Prozorro — a platform that ensures open competition, lower prices, and marks significant progress compared to the direct contracting methods used in 2022–2023.
However, several corruption risks were identified — including issues with cost estimation, short delivery timelines, and inconsistent use of qualification criteria. Among the examples cited by Nikolaienko:
- A tender for 70,000 bulletproof vests won by a shell company;
- Defective jackets supplied by “Farminko Nord”, a company that claimed to hire all its employees on the same day for the tender;
- Technical specifications tailored to a single manufacturer — as seen in tenders for canteens and military sneakers;
- Failed procurement procedures due to unrealistically low expected prices.
Speakers from the Ministry of Defence and procurement agencies also discussed building stronger cooperation with the Council. Serhii Stepanyan, Acting Head of the MoD Anti-Corruption Department, assured attendees that several meetings between the Council and the new ministry leadership are planned. Nadiia Bihun, Chair of the Supervisory Board of the State Operator For Non-Lethal Acquisition, thanked the Council for its constructive dialogue and active engagement.
Stanislav Haider, Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Defence Procurement Agency, emphasized that his team reviews public statements by Council members and makes decisions accordingly. “At the moment, we are finalizing the signing of a memorandum between our Supervisory Board and the Public Anti-Corruption Council. It’s important to stress that this is not just a symbolic step,” he stated.
The Defence Talks are meetings where Ukrainian government representatives, high-ranking officials, representatives of the public sector, the diplomatic corps and the media discuss key trends and challenges in the security and defence sector.
NAKO is a civil society organization dedicated to strengthening Ukraine’s resilience against internal and external threats in critical areas of national security through independent research, effective advocacy, and public awareness initiatives. NAKO provides institutional, legal, analytical, and communications support to the Public Anti-Corruption Council of the Ministry of Defence.