---
title: "Cabinet of Ministers backs bill: Ukrainian military to gain the right to safely expose corruption in the army"
description: "The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers has endorsed a Ministry of Defence bill that gives Armed Forces service members the right to safely report corruption in the army without the risk of dismissal or disciplinary action."
date: 2026-08-31T10:54:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/cabinet-backs-bill-ukrainian-military-expose-corruption
tags: [ukraine, military, corruption, whistleblower-protection, armed-forces, defense-ministry]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Cabinet of Ministers backs bill: Ukrainian military to gain the right to safely expose corruption in the army

![Ukrainian military equipment in a storage facility: tactical vests, helmets and backpacks in the context of the bill protecting soldiers who expose army corruption](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/31/kabmin-zakonoproekt-voennye-vsua-razoblachat-korrupciyu/kabmin-zakonoproekt-voennye-vsua-razoblachat-korrupciyu-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers endorsed a Ministry of Defence draft law on amendments to the Disciplinary Code of the Armed Forces
- Service members will gain the right to independently send reports on corrupt offences to the authorized units
- Whistleblowers will be protected from dismissal, coercion into resigning, and disciplinary liability
- The initiative follows the SBU's exposure of a medicine-selling scheme that caused budget damage of over 80 million hryvnias

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has endorsed a draft law prepared by the Ministry of Defence that significantly expands the rights of members of the Armed Forces in the area of anti-corruption efforts. According to the Ministry of Defence's press service, the document proposes amendments to the Disciplinary Code of the Armed Forces and grants military personnel the right to independently send reports on identified corrupt or corruption-related offences to the authorized units and officials responsible for preventing and detecting corruption.

### What the new bill changes

The current version of the Disciplinary Code of the Armed Forces of Ukraine limits a service member's right to file a complaint to cases where a commander has made unlawful decisions regarding that specific service member, violated their rights, or unlawfully subjected them to disciplinary liability. As a result, under the current wording, a service member had no direct right to initiate the exposure of corrupt schemes not directly related to their personal position. The new draft law removes this restriction: a service member who identifies possible facts of corrupt or corruption-related offences will have the right to send reports to the authorized units for the prevention and detection of corruption.

### Protection of whistleblowers from reprisals

A key element of the bill is the mechanism for protecting whistleblowers. According to the document, a service member who becomes a whistleblower on corrupt offences cannot be dismissed from service, coerced into resigning, subjected to disciplinary liability, or exposed to any other negative measures of influence in connection with the submission of a report. In addition, the bill provides service members with the right to independently choose the channels for notifying the authorized bodies, ensuring additional flexibility and safety when exposing corruption.

### Context: large-scale corruption schemes in the defence sector

The Ministry of Defence's initiative to expand the anti-corruption powers of military personnel comes against the backdrop of a series of high-profile exposures in the defence sector. In particular, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) recently uncovered a large-scale scheme involving the sale of medicines for medical institutions and the Defence Forces at artificially inflated prices, causing damage to the state budget of over 80 million hryvnias. Such cases demonstrate the systemic nature of corruption risks in defence procurement and underscores the need for institutional mechanisms that allow ordinary service members to safely report violations.

### Status of the document and next steps

At present, the draft law is at the stage of being endorsed by the Cabinet of Ministers. To enter into force, the document must be registered and adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Once the parliamentary procedure is completed, the amendments will be incorporated into the Disciplinary Code of the Armed Forces, effectively creating an institutional channel for anti-corruption monitoring within the army that complements the work of external bodies such as the NABU and the SBU.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Military to expose corruption without risk of punishment: Cabinet proposes Rada amend the law](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/viyskovi-vikrivatimut-koruptsiyu-riziku-pokarannya-1788173411.html) - Подтверждает поддержку Кабмином законопроекта, расширение прав военных на сообщения о коррупции, защиту обличителей и право самостоятельного выбора каналов уведомления.
- [Armed Forces personnel to be given the right to report corruption in the army](https://korrespondent.net/ukraine/4907668-voennym-vsu-predostaviat-pravo-soobschat-o-korruptsyy-v-armyy) - Подтверждает суть законопроекта и его связь с изменениями в Дисциплинарном уставе ВСУ.
- [Military to be able to safely report corruption – Ministry of Defence](https://ru.slovoidilo.ua/2026/08/31/novost/bezopasnost/voennye-smogut-bezopasno-soobshhat-korrupcii-minoborony) - Подтверждает информацию от пресс-службы Минобороны о безопасном механизме сообщения о коррупции.
- [Cabinet proposes expanding military rights to expose corruption](https://fakty.com.ua/ru/ukraine/20260831-kabmin-proponuye-rozshyryty-prava-vijskovyh-na-vykryttya-koruptsiyi/) - Подтверждает расширение прав военных на разоблачение коррупции и контекст с разоблачением СБУ схемы с медикаментами.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What exactly does the new bill change in the Disciplinary Code of the Armed Forces?
**A:** The bill supplements the current version of the Disciplinary Code with the right of a service member to send reports on identified corrupt or corruption-related offences to the authorized units. Previously, a service member could only file a complaint in cases of unlawful decisions by a commander regarding themselves personally, violations of their rights, or unlawful imposition of liability.

### Q: Will military personnel who report corruption be protected?
**A:** Yes. According to the bill, a whistleblower cannot be dismissed from service, coerced into resigning, subjected to disciplinary liability, or exposed to other negative measures of influence in connection with the submission of a report.

### Q: What stage is the bill currently at?
**A:** The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers has endorsed the draft law developed by the Ministry of Defence. To enter into force, the document must be registered and adopted by the Verkhovna Rada.

### Q: What context prompted the preparation of the bill?
**A:** Among the factors is the SBU's exposure of a large-scale scheme selling medicines for medical institutions and the Defence Forces at inflated prices, with budget damage of over 80 million hryvnias, which underscores the need for internal anti-corruption control mechanisms within the army.