54% of Ukrainians Now Fear Corruption More Than Russia: Poll
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- KIIS poll found 54% of Ukrainians in government-controlled territory see corruption as the biggest threat to Ukraine's development, compared to 39% who pointed to Russia's military aggression; the survey was conducted April 20–27 and released May 6.
- Andriy Yermak, former head of President Zelensky's office, was charged with money laundering and corruption by Ukraine's anti-corruption watchdog, the most senior figure implicated so far in the widening scandal.
- Zelensky's trust rating fell 4 points in a month, from 62% to 58%, with 36% expressing distrust; corruption was the most-cited reason among the 20% who specifically named a cause for their lack of faith.
- NABU and SAPO's November 2025 investigation uncovered a $100 million kickback scheme in which a 'high-level criminal organization' allegedly skimmed 10–15% off energy contracts, including some for defensive fortifications protecting infrastructure Russia was bombing.
- Newly released tapes appear to show Zelensky associates — including Kvartal 95 co-owner Timur Mindich — influencing then-Defence Minister Rustem Umerov's contract decisions and discussing luxury estates allegedly financed by the scheme, including one linked to Yermak.
- Sociologist Volodymyr Ishchenko of Freie Universität Berlin told Responsible Statecraft the polling reveals Ukrainians 'fundamentally distrust their state and the elite,' linking the crisis of legitimacy to 'massive draft dodging and desertion.'
- Optimism persists despite the scandal: 63% of Ukrainians still expect their country to be a 'prosperous EU member' in ten years, down just 3% from the start of the year.
Why it matters: With 54% of Ukrainians now ranking corruption above Russia as the top threat and Zelensky's trust eroding 4 points in a month, the scandal strikes at the wartime social contract: Ishchenko ties that distrust directly to draft dodging and desertion, while the alleged siphoning of 10–15% from fortification contracts meant to shield infrastructure from Russian strikes makes the corruption a literal battlefield liability.
