Accountability in Ukraine

Welcome to IWPR’s Frontline Update, your go-to source to hear from journalists and local voices at the front lines of conflict.

 THE BIG PICTURE  

As Ukraine’s state anti-corruption watchdogs continue to push through landmark probes into high-level graft, media and civil society are playing a crucial role in driving accountability.

Most recently, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) revealed an alleged criminal scheme to rig contracts at Ukraine’s state nuclear energy company Energoatom, laundering some 100 million US dollars in the process.

This came just months after a public outcry – the so-called cardboard protests – that spurred parliament to overturn the shock July introduction of a law weakening the independence of both NABU and SAP.

 VOICES FROM THE FRONTLINE 

“There is a direct connection between the ‘cardboard protests’ in July and the exposure of the schemes in Energoatom,” said NABU director Semen Kryvonos, underscoring the power of civic mobilisation. “Without the people who came out to support us, none of this would have happened.”

“Independent institutions are the cornerstone of the democratic system as they work in the interest of the state and society, not some politician,” said SAPO head Oleksandr Klymenko adding, “A good example are the growing number of cases that have been opened by NABU and SAPO following journalistic investigations. So this successful cooperation between independent agencies, civil society and media illustrates that together we can change our country.”

The anti-corruption leaders were addressing journalists, regional watchdogs and civic activists in Kyiv at IWPR’s signature two-day accountability forum, held annually in Ukraine since 2017. Alongside panels on regional investigations and growing legal pressures, discussions focused on challenges journalists and activists face such as harassment and smear campaigns.  Participants also looked at how media could better engage with local communities and communicate anticorruption work to tell stories of success without playing into Russian disinformation narratives.

 WHY IT MATTERS 

A whole-of-society approach and constructive collaboration between state institutions, civic actors, media and watchdog organisations is crucial to Ukraine’s accountability landscape.  

“Journalists and watchdog organisations continue exposing wrongdoing even as pressure, intimidation and attempts to silence them grow,” explained Kateryna Laba, IWPR Ukraine project manager. “They spark high-level prosecutions, influence legislative debates and help society understand where corruption risks lie.”

The resilience of these actors strengthens Ukraine’s international credibility and reinforces the trust of partners who are invested in a transparent, accountable future.

 THE BOTTOM LINE 

Corruption has long plagued public life in Ukraine, and IWPR’s ongoing programming has consistently focused on showing how progress is only possible when independent institutions, media and civil society act together.

“This alliance is already driving major national investigations and preventing efforts to weaken public oversight,” Laba continued. “Strong oversight is not a parallel process to Ukraine’s recovery — it is a prerequisite for it.”