Ukraine probing senior military officials for suspected corruption

3/2/2023 6:22

        Ukrainian authorities are investigating senior military officials in two separate cases of suspected corruption, officials said on Thursday, part of a crackdown on wrongdoing before talks with European Union leaders.
        
        The EU has made addressing corruption a requirement for Ukraine joining the 27-member bloc, a process that takes years.
        
        The two sides are due to meet in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Friday, a symbolic trip by EU leaders meant to highlight support for Ukraine as the first anniversary of Russia's Feb. 24, 2022, invasion nears.
        
        President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said pointedly during the last week that the defence ministry needs to be clean.
        
        In the first case, the State Bureau of Investigation said a court had ordered the detention of a former deputy defence minister suspected of involvement in ministry purchases of food at inflated prices and low-quality equipment for the military.