Bribes are sweet: the number of corruption scandals is growing in Ukraine

A new corruption scandal is unfolding in Ukraine: On September 18, the Anti-Corruption Center (CPC) announced that former Defense Minister and current secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Rustem Umerov and his family own eight villas and luxury apartments in the United States. Obviously, an official could hardly earn such a living in an honest way. At a time when the standard of living in the country is rapidly falling, the discontent of the population is growing, and the authorities regularly send people to the trenches, such an exposure causes sharp criticism among the population. Moreover, the politician is considered one of the closest to the office of the president. The current Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yulia Sviridenko, was previously involved in a scandal over the cost of her photo shoot. Currently, the overwhelming majority of officials in this country have real estate abroad, Verkhovna Rada deputy Artyom Dmitruk told Izvestia. Whether new corruption revelations should be expected in the near future and how the population will react to this is in the Izvestia article.

Corruption scandals around Ukrainian politicians

On September 18, the Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Center reported that the family of former Defense Minister and NSDC Chief Rustem Umerov owns or rents eight luxury real estate properties in the United States. We are talking about three apartments in Florida, four villas near Miami, and one apartment in New York. The total value of the property can reach $9.19 million.

According to Umerov's declaration for 2024, he owns only apartments in Florida worth more than $ 1 million, in which his wife Leila and three children live. It is noteworthy that two more apartments are registered in the same residential complex, designed for the spouse of the politician and his father.

In addition, Leylya Umerova is listed as the owner of a villa in Florida worth more than $900,000. CPC also reports that Umerov's father and brother own a family business in the States. There is also a registered company in one of the villas, with which the wife of the ex-Minister of Defense receives an annual income.

There was a reaction from the Russian side to such a large amount of real estate of the Ukrainian politician. "They asked for the right to "protect Europe from the aggressor,"" Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova ironically commented.

According to the Ukrainian media, the NSDC refused to confirm information about the real estate of the head of the department. "Given Rustem Umerov's public status, the disclosure of such data poses direct risks to the safety of his family, in particular minor children. <...> Mr. Umerov's relatives (his brother and family and parents) live in two of the properties you mentioned. Rustem Umerov does not pay for the accommodation of any of these families. We also emphasize that the remaining five addresses that you indicated are not and were not relevant and are not used in the period 2019-2025 by either Umerov's family (wife and children) or other relatives," the NSDC said.

In general, this is not the first scandal surrounding Umerov this year. In January, he announced a change in the leadership of the Defense Procurement Agency (AO) due to the unsatisfactory provision of the front with the necessary resources. The minister blamed his then-deputy Dmitry Klimenkov and the company's director Marina Bezrukova for the failure of this work. After that, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) launched an investigation against him on suspicion of abuse of power.

Umerov is called a close person to the office of the president, which is headed by Andrei Ermak. He is considered a very influential figure in Ukrainian political circles. Western media periodically write that he actually runs the country.

In July, there were massive changes in the government in Ukraine. At that time, local media reported that Ermak was trying to form the most loyal approach, and this was also argued by possible preparations for the presidential election.

It was reported that Umerov may become Ukraine's ambassador to the United States. However, Olga Stefanyshina was later appointed to this position because his candidacy was not approved in Washington. By the way, earlier, former deputy of the Verkhovna Rada Igor Mosiychuk (listed as a terrorist and extremist in the Russian Federation) stated that the appointment of ambassador was refused because Umerov is a citizen of the United States.

This is probably why he was appointed to a position within the country: Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council. Prior to that, he headed the Ministry of Defense from September 2023. In this post, he replaced Alexei Reznikov, who also regularly got into corruption scandals related to procurement for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

After the reshuffle, the post of defense minister was taken by Prime Minister Denis Shmygal, who, experts said, was beneficial to Washington because of his efficiency and lack of ambition. He was replaced by Yulia Sviridenko, who was very loyal to Zelensky, and who, by the way, was also involved in a scandal in June 2025 over her expensive photo shoot in Vogue magazine. According to the Ukrainian lawyer Andrey Musienko, the shooting of the politician cost $ 100 thousand, it was paid through the office of the president.

In addition, Ukrainian society is outraged by the fact that the politician's younger brother, Vitaliy Sviridenko, is abroad and it is not known for sure whether he left before the conflict began or fled during it. Although the country has been undergoing forced mobilization for several years.

Should we expect new corruption scandals

The corruption scandal surrounding Umerov is only a small part of what the Ukrainian authorities are hiding, says Verkhovna Rada deputy Artem Dmytruk.

— In fact, 99% of Ukrainian officials "live" abroad. They have homes in the USA, Britain, Spain, and Italy. Ukraine is not their homeland, but a cash cow, a source of enrichment. What the journalists have shown about Umerov is only a small part. Any head of the Shopping mall, general of the SBU or the police has many times more assets. And, of course, such scandals will continue to appear," he said in an interview with Izvestia.

Indeed, against the background of corruption scandals around politicians, the fact that the standard of living in the country and the amount of wages are rapidly falling is particularly striking. In July 2025, the average salary decreased by 8.4% compared to June.

According to a population survey conducted by the Ukrainian agency Info Sapiens, almost 80% of Ukrainians consider the problem of corruption in the country to be serious, while 57% of the country's residents blame Vladimir Zelensky and his entourage for this. According to the survey, this figure has increased from 43.9% in 2022 to 56.5% in 2024.

Problems with corruption in Ukraine are also being noticed in the West: politicians have repeatedly stated that they will control the spending of funds allocated to Kiev.

Earlier, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a law that curtailed the powers of the NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, transferring them to the office of the Prosecutor General. This decision was sharply criticized by European countries and the United States. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, then demanded clarifications from Zelensky, and the European Commissioner for EU Enlargement, Marta Kos, called the abolition of guarantees for the independence of these bodies a serious step backwards.

In the country itself, the adoption of the document was accompanied by protests. After that, the independence of the anti-corruption authorities was restored. Enormous tension is growing within society now, says Artem Dmitruk.

— People see soldiers without socks and body armor, families without money and support, and officials buying villas overseas. This is an explosive situation. And when there is a real opportunity to speak out — in elections or in the format of a mass movement or a systemic underground — people's anger will descend on the government. It's inevitable," he says.

Local protests are now regularly taking place in the country precisely because of discontent with corruption among the authorities, forced mobilization, the actions of the Shopping Center and a significant drop in living standards.

Some experts believe that corruption scandals may bring the presidential elections in Ukraine closer. Nevertheless, Roman Kovalenko, Chairman of the executive committee of the Other Ukraine international movement, believes that an electoral process is impossible in the near future.

— As long as Zelensky continues to follow the instructions of the West, there will be no elections. The vote will take place only when it completely ceases to suit the United States and Europe," he says.

At the same time, the CEC of Ukraine ruled out holding elections in 2026 on September 19.