Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities have notified seven people of suspicion in connection with a scheme that allegedly siphoned UAH 137.5 million (about €2.7 million) from a contract to transport subway cars donated by Warsaw to Kyiv. Warsaw Metro agreed to transfer 60 carriages free of charge in late 2022, with Kyiv responsible for transportation. Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau, or NABU, and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, or SAPO, say a pre-selected company later won contracts worth UAH 190 million (about €3.7 million), transferred the funds to an affiliated foreign company and paid only part of the sum to the actual carrier. Investigators allege that UAH 137.5 million was retained by those involved in the scheme. The case comes amid wider scrutiny of corruption in Ukraine as Kyiv seeks continued Western support and progress towards EU membership. Another investigation recently implicated a senior official in the Prosecutor General’s Office. Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko was not charged or named as a suspect, but resigned after the investigation reached his office. Ukraine’s parliament approved his departure on September 15. Polish lawmakers interviewed by TVP World said the metro case reinforced the need for oversight while also showing that Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions were actively investigating alleged abuses.
