• Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies have arrested multiple officials in a major bribery scheme.
• The corruption scheme involves inflated prices in military drone procurement.
• President Zelenskyy emphasized "zero tolerance" for corruption following public protests.
• The independence of anti-corruption bodies was restored just before this investigation.
• Four individuals, including a lawmaker, were detained as part of the probe.

Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies announced they have uncovered a significant corruption scheme involving the procurement of military drones and signal jamming systems at inflated prices. This revelation follows the recent restoration of independence to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) after major protests against their prior oversight by the prosecutor general, which sparked nationwide demonstrations just days before the arrests. The agencies indicated that the inflated pricing arrangements led to kickbacks of up to 30% of contract values, resulting in the detention of multiple officials including a sitting lawmaker and members of the National Guard, as reported by Reuters, South China Morning Post, and Al Jazeera.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has faced backlash for previously attempting to limit the independence of these agencies, stated on Telegram that there can be "zero tolerance for corruption" in Ukraine. This declaration of commitment to anti-corruption efforts comes as European allies strongly encouraged Ukraine to maintain the autonomy of its anti-graft institutions, emphasizing the potential risks to its European Union membership bid if integrity is not upheld within its governance frameworks, as highlighted by Le Monde and BBC.

The detained officials are alleged to have participated in a "large-scale bribery scheme" that involved signing state contracts at intentionally inflated prices. NABU and SAPO confirmed four arrests, including officials from various administrative levels, which further underscores the pervasive nature of corruption within Ukraine's defense procurement processes. Following public pressure, Zelenskyy reinstated the independence of NABU and SAPO just prior to these revelations, facilitating more robust investigative powers against corruption, according to TRT Global and Anadolu Agency.