Zakharova: officials in Ukraine may have embezzled up to 36% of Western financial aid

Ukrainian officials have reportedly embezzled between 20 per cent and 36 per cent of the financial aid the West has provided for Kiev, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.

“First of all, of course, it is the former leadership of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry,” she said during the briefing.

Zakharova added that Kiev has already recognised the risks for the Ukrainian military to remain unarmed if the country does not begin to effectively protect public funds.

Earlier, the secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, Oleksiy Danylov, said that there was no need to fight corruption in the country.