Corruption instead of strategy: in Ukraine’s military intelligence, schemes, compromising materials, and a power struggle emerge amid the war

Under the pretext of investigating the controversial procurement of Apilas grenade launchers, Ukraine’s security services have launched a sweeping operation that could lead to a political earthquake.

The investigative actions by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) — including raids and the issuance of formal suspicions — go far beyond isolated deals. At stake is the entire upper echelon of Ukraine’s military intelligence.

At the center of the investigation is Oleksandr Nakonechnyi, former head of the state enterprise Progress, a colonel, liaison with the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVRU), and essentially the “shadow treasurer” of Oleh Ivashchenko. According to investigators, Nakonechnyi oversaw key corruption schemes — from drone and ammunition purchases at double prices to kickbacks in the defense and military-tech cooperation sector.

Sources report that Nakonechnyi has already begun cooperating with investigators and has handed over highly sensitive information. If confirmed, this would not just be a reputational scandal — it could result in criminal prosecution of Ivashchenko himself, the current head of the SVRU. Ivashchenko has long been considered a frontrunner to replace Kyrylo Budanov as head of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (GUR MoD).

Now, however, that “technical compromise” for the top position is becoming a toxic liability. According to insiders, the person behind Nakonechnyi’s “leak” is Oleksandr Poklad — a powerful figure overseeing the Department for Internal Security (DVKR) and a key rival of Ivashchenko in the battle for control over military intelligence.

This is more than a routine internal purge or an anti-corruption campaign — it’s a full-blown inter-agency war. In this conflict, kompromat (compromising materials) has become a weapon, and backroom deals are crumbling under the weight of investigative pressure.

If the allegations of large-scale embezzlement are substantiated, Ivashchenko’s resignation may be just weeks away — possibly triggering a deeper crisis of trust in the entire military intelligence apparatus.