The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved a bill that strengthens the protection of military personnel who report potential corruption-related offenses in the Armed Forces. The adoption of this bill is envisaged by the State Anti-Corruption Program for 2023–2025 and is also part of Ukraine’s commitments to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) took part in developing the bill and provided suggestions and comments to ensure proper protection of whistleblowers within the military. The document’s developer, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, fully incorporated NACP's recommendations.
The provisions of the bill include:
- granting military personnel the right to report possible acts of corruption or corruption-related offenses to designated anti-corruption units or officers;
- allowing military personnel to choose the reporting channel freely, including the right to report directly to specially authorized anti-corruption bodies (such as the Prosecutor’s Office, National Police, National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), or the NACP);
- repealing the requirement for military personnel to inform their commander when reporting to an authorized unit, officer, or body responsible for preventing and detecting corruption.
The implementation of these legislative changes will help establish clear, accessible, and safe mechanisms for reporting corruption within the military. It will also mark the beginning of an effective whistleblower protection system in the defense sector.
As a reminder, in the autumn of 2023, the NACP launched the Unified Whistleblower Reporting Portal, which allows citizens to report facts of corruption and corruption-related offenses. The creation of this anti-corruption tool is mandated by the Law of Ukraine "On Prevention of Corruption" and the State Anti-Corruption Program for 2023–2025.
