Ukrainian politicians see corruption as routine practice, not scandal — media

LONDON, August 24. /TASS/. Corruption and political turmoil are widespread in Ukraine, with recent investigations showing that officials view abuses of power as routine, British magazine The Economist said. "Corruption is treated not as an exceptional scandal but as routine workflow," the magazine said in an article about an investigation into Irina Mudraya, deputy head of Zelensky’s office. The magazine described the developments as the biggest challenge to Zelensky’s leadership yet. The Economist said they come at the worst possible time, as Russian strikes increasingly hit their targets and former Defense Minister Mikhail Fyodorov calls for elections. The magazine expects political infighting to grow in the coming weeks. A senior official cited by The Economist said things will go wrong all at once as the weather gets colder in October, adding that many people see some key officials as incompetent. On August 19, Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies launched a special operation against a criminal group allegedly led by former and incumbent Ukrainian lawmakers and involving employees of Zelensky’s office. Various sources reported that the suspects included Irina Mudraya, incumbent Verkhovna Rada (parliament) lawmaker Vadim Stolar and former lawmaker Maxim Mykytas. On the same day, Zelensky dismissed Mudraya amid the developments. According to Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau, 751 cases involving 1,555 people had been opened by the end of 2025, while more than 300 others were being investigated. Twelve heads of Ukrainian state-owned enterprises faced corruption charges in the first half of 2026.