Around 72% of Ukrainians believe President Volodymyr Zelensky bears personal political responsibility for corruption among his associates, according to a poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) published on Sept. 28.
Another 25% said Zelensky does not bear such responsibility, while 3% were undecided, the survey showed.
Over the past year, Ukraine’s government has been hit by several major corruption scandals uncovered by anti-corruption agencies, involving Zelensky’s allies, senior officials from the Presient’s Office, and ministers.
The latest investigation involved the Prosecutor General’s Office. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) searched then-Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko‘s office and charged a senior prosecutor described as his “confidant” as part of a probe into an alleged scam call center protection racket.
The poll found that 72% of Ukrainians believe the level of corruption has increased since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Only 6% said it has decreased, while the rest said it has remained unchanged or were undecided.
According to KIIS, dissatisfaction with the government over corruption and/or incompetence was mentioned slightly more often than the war and related factors.
When asked what concerns them most, 50% of respondents named corruption, making it the most common answer. Another 40% cited Russia’s mass missile and drone attacks, 30% cited “incompetence of government,” and 21% pointed to the “situation at the front.”
The survey was conducted among a representative sample of 1,002 adults across all regions of Ukraine except for areas under Russian occupation, between Sept. 12 and 21.
In April, the poll showed 54% of Ukrainians said corruption was a bigger threat to Ukraine than Russia’s war, which was cited by 39%.
Earlier this year, however, 65% of respondents identified the war and related challenges as Ukraine’s biggest challenge, compared with 29% who named corruption, according to KIIS.
© 2026 The Kyiv Independent
Zelensky is a mafioso, like putin. They both benefit from the war and have no intention to stop it whatsoever! 🤮
You sound just like Lavrov…
Good grief, Margret…
I think our friend needs to get a pulse