New procurement policy helps Ukraine save 3.3 billion hryvnyas on drones
Source: Mykhailo Fedorov/Telegram
Reformed procurement policies helped Ukraine save over 3.3 billion hryvnyas on drone purchases in 2024, said National Anti-Corruption Bureau, adding that “Army of Drones” program has become one of the “most effective sectors” in the first 6 months of 2024.
“Following our initial drone contracts, we implemented a stringent procurement control system involving NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office ” said Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov. “State Special Communications provided detectives access to our CRM system, which includes all drone contracts. They can track the status of each purchase, including details about manufacturers, costs, and contract specifics. NABU can freely analyze each procurement.”
The joint effort that saw state investigators and journalists oversee the pricing policy allowed to spend 1.8 billion hryvnyas on additional 18,413 additional drones. It also meant the goverment got back 1.5 billion hryvnyas.
Amendments to Ukraine’s enforcement proceedings legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, have entered into force. Among other measures, the reform provides for the automated lifting of attachments on bank accounts immediately after debts in enforcement proceedings have been fully settled. The main practical benefit for citizens is the complete elimination of the need to contact an enforcement officer in person and wait for paper decisions once the debt has been paid.
The 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade has received another batch of supplies as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. This time, the military received seven quad bikes and four mobile shower and bath units.
In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.
Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.
Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.