Ukraine’s defense ministry reschedules election of anti-corruption council members
Source: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
Ukraine’s defense ministry is facing unpleasant questions after it annulled the results of the vote for members of the Public Anti-Corruption Council and postponed the new election on Thursday.
The ministry blamed technical issues, citing “website instability and user authentication errors”, and promised it will fix it before the rescheduled vote.
“The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine sincerely apologizes for the technical malfunctions that occurred during the online voting for members of the Public Anti-Corruption Council,” the ministry stated.
The vote is now set to take place on January 7, 2025. The move raise eyebrows with some civil activists calling out the defense ministry over what they call a ‘deliberate disruption’. Among those is Yurii Hudymenko, a war veteran and Democratic Axe civic group leader, who is aso running for a position in the recently established council that must oversee procurement programs in the ministry.
Hudymenko argued that some individuals reported their votes before the official start of the election, suggesting irregularities in the process. “It’s as if the ballots were already in the box before the voting even began,” he added.
On October 6, the Administrative Cassation Court within the Supreme Court of Ukraine continued hearing case No. 990/80/25, in which the fifth President and leader of the party “European Solidarity”, Petro Poroshenko, seeks to have Presidential Decree No. 81/2025 from February 12, 2025 — enacting sanctions by the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) — declared illegal and annulled. The plaintiff claims the document was falsified and that the sanctions are a tool of political persecution of the opposition, contrary to international norms. Government representatives deny the allegations and insist their actions were lawful. Journalists of Bukvy were present at the hearing.
Rinat Akhmetov’s Metinvest Group has completed the construction of an upgraded underground NATO Role 2 hospital in one of the hottest sectors of the frontline. This is the second stabilization point established under the Steel Front initiative in cooperation with the Medical Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The new facility, funded by Metinvest with an investment of UAH 21 million, is more secure than the first one thanks to its deeper location underground (over 6 meters) and additional fortifications.
Five armored vehicles “Kozak” have received a new mission – thanks to the support of Metinvest, they have been upgraded to full-fledged command and staff vehicles. These upgraded vehicles are now operating on the front line.
A kamikaze drone flies directly toward an armored personnel carrier. But instead of penetrating the hull, it explodes on a steel screen. The crew survives. This is the new reality for Ukrainian forces, who have received enhanced protection thanks to the Metinvest project within “Steel Front of Rinat Akhmetov”.
To commemorate the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion, “Bukvy” has compiled data on the largest donors supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Among them there are charitable foundations and businesses. The list includes, in particular, foundations that provide assistance exclusively from their own resources, without fundraising (such as SCM by Rinat Akhmetov, Epicenter, etc.).