December 10, 2016 (BBC NEWS) While some changes
have been felt, many doubt the defence sector can be completely reformed. Viktor
Plakhuta couldn't take the corruption in Ukraine's defence sector any longer. A
former financial services worker, he was part of a wave of young, idealistic
Ukrainians who entered government after the country's 2014 pro-Western
revolution. He joined the department responsible for military procurement and
reform in the ministry of economic development and trade.
But after 10 months he resigned,
angry at what he said was widespread corruption and a lack of will to do
anything about it.
"In the department, I was
just carrying out tasks that fulfilled other people's personal interests and
corruption," he said.
According to him, defence
contracts were regularly inflated or given to insiders, and those who benefited
reached the highest levels of power. Yet the conflict with Russian-backed
separatists forces in the east has made Ukraine's military competence a vital
national issue. Now Mr Plakhuta and other reformers are focusing on the defence
industry. If they are right, and top officials are indeed illegally enriching
themselves from the war effort, it could seriously damage the credibility of
President Petro Poroshenko's government. All this comes at a time when Kyiv is
growing worried that US President-elect Donald Trump might abandon Ukraine in
favour of Russia, and the EU is struggling to bring an end to the
Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
Training
with Grad rockets: Sporadic clashes continue between Ukraine's military and proRussian
rebels
Ukrainian officials say they are launching a
major reform of the defence industry, including a restructuring of Ukroboronprom,
the state-owned defence holding company. Some changes, especially in
equipment and supplies, have been felt. When the war began, Ukraine's army
barely existed; now it has fought the Russian-backed militants to a standstill.
But many doubt the defence sector can be completely reformed, given that the
law on state secrets will most likely stay in place for some time.
Kyiv has also been pushing hard
for the West to provide it weapons. But the potential for corruption has given
Western officials and arms companies serious second thoughts. "The system is rigged," said the
defence industry insider. The full article is available at
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