Ukraine charges six people, including lawmaker, in drone procurement scheme

KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine said on Monday it had charged six people including a lawmaker and a government official for embezzling funds in the purchase of drones and jamming equipment for the military.

Kyiv relies on a steady supply of drones and electronic warfare systems to fight Moscow's invasion and is also waging a crackdown on graft critical to its future in the European Union.

Anti-corruption authorities said on Saturday they had uncovered a scheme involving the legislator, one сurrent and one now sacked official, a National Guard commander and two businessmen, giving kickbacks for purchases at inflated prices.

"In 2024–2025, an organised criminal group systematically misappropriated funds allocated by local authorities for defence needs," the National Anti-Corruption Bureau said in a statement, adding the bribes totalled around 30% of the contracts' value.

The drone contract was worth $240,000 with an inflation of about $80,000, the bureau said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who sparked a public furore last month for briefly scrapping the independence of two anti-corruption agencies, praised the move on Saturday after meeting the agency heads.

Besides the lawmaker, those charged on Monday include a former governor and regional administration chief, the head of a city military administration, the commander of a National Guard Unit, and the director and the owner of a drone manufacturer.

None of the suspects were identified. The equipment was locally manufactured.

(Reporting by Dan Peleschuk; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)