Church representatives called on the Ukrainian authorities to renew the fight against corruption after investigators reported a $100m kickback scheme in the energy sector involving several high-profile figures close to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“Corruption is a sin, and during wartime it is not merely a violation of state laws but also a moral crime against our defenders and our entire people. It undermines social unity and demoralises – things our enemies exploit. Therefore, the fight against corruption today is part of our shared struggle for independence, part of our resistance to Russian aggression,” said a statement from the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organisations (UCCRO) published on 16 November.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office said a 15-month-long investigation had revealed the criminal group was implicated in an embezzlement scheme in which it allegedly received payments from contractors building fortifications against Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.
Zelenskyy was forced to sack two ministers from his government and put a former business partner of under sanctions after the scandal emerged last week.
Such “unprecedented manifestations of corruption are not only evidence of profound moral decline but also a betrayal” of public trust, the UCCRO statement said, warning that they “aid the aggressor because they undermine Ukraine’s ability to defend itself and cause demoralisation”.
Protection for energy infrastructure is vital for the Ukrainian winter as Russia intensifies its airstrikes and drone attacks, which Pope Leo deplored on Sunday.
“They cause casualties and injuries – children among them – and extensive damage to civilian infrastructure, leaving families homeless as the cold weather sets in,” he said after the Angelus in St Peter’s Square.
“I assure those severely affected of my closeness. We must not become accustomed to war and destruction! Let us pray together for a just and lasting peace in war-torn Ukraine.”
The UCCRO statement demanded punishment for those guilty of corruption “regardless of their official position or previous connections” in order to “heal the wound that has been inflicted, restore trust, and show that the state defends truth and justice”.
Zelenskyy attempted to limit the power of the anti-corruption authorities with legislation in July this year, but the measure prompted large-scale protests which led parliamentarians to reverse it.
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk said the young people who began the protests were leading a “moral revival”.
The president promised full co-operation with anti-corruption authorities after last week’s revelations and announced an overhaul of key state energy companies, including a complete change of management at Energoatom, the nuclear power operator at the centre of the scandal.
Justified anger at corruption “must be channelled into a constructive path – toward eradicating corruption in all its forms”, the UCCRO said, warning that “political confrontation and internal quarrels only weaken us and serve the aggressor’s interests”.
“We appeal to all citizens: let us not allow corruption to divide us or distract us from our main goal – the preservation of our state, its independence, and the achievement of victory over the enemy. Unity, mutual support, and a shared fight against evil are what save Ukraine today. Each person, in their place, must be honest, responsible, and ready to serve the truth, continuing their spiritual endeavour of resisting both the external aggressor and internal corruption.”