Zelenskyy, in his evening video address to the nation on Wednesday, said that bribes of between $3,000 and $15,000 had been paid for medical exemptions from military duty.
“It is necessary to check a significant number of decisions of the military medical commissions on disability and unfitness for military service that were made after February 24,” he said.
In some regions of Ukraine, the number of people removed from the military register due to decisions of the medical commission had “increased tenfold” since Russia’s invasion. He emphasized that this corruption undermines the country’s defense capabilities and puts the lives of Ukrainian soldiers at risk. Zelenskyy called for a thorough investigation into the matter and for those responsible to be held accountable.
The president’s call to address corruption in the military comes as Ukraine continues to face security challenges from Russia in the eastern part of the country. Zelenskyy has been vocal about his commitment to reforming Ukraine’s institutions and fighting corruption since taking office in 2019.
