A Russian drone struck the Kyiv headquarters of Ukraine’s Security Service, the SBU, on Friday, in a rare direct hit on a key government building that highlights Ukraine’s dire shortages of air defenses.
Ukraine's leadership faces fresh challenges as a new defense minister is appointed amidst protests, corruption allegations, and calls for wartime elections.
Volodymyr Zelensky’s leadership in Ukraine is facing fresh challenges, as the former Minister of Defense and Acting Head of the Security Service calls for fresh elections . PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: Ukraine ’s parliament appointed former special forces operative Yevhenii Khmara as Minister of Defense, equivalent to the U.S. Secretary of War, on Wednesday, hours after his predecessor, Mykhailo Fedorov, called for wartime elections, over two years after President Volodymyr Zelensky ‘s current term was supposed to end. Khmara takes over as Ukraine faces continued Russian missile attacks and battlefield pressure, while Zelensky confronts growing criticism over recent government shake-ups. DETAIL: The removal last month of Fedorov,…Open
‘An odious act’
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said Tuesday it discovered Ukrainian Anastasiia Berezovska shot dead after her alleged involvement in a recent Monaco bombing attack on wealthy Ukrainian oligarch Vadym Yermolaiev. SBU stated that an officer from Ukraine’s military intelligence agency admitted to the killing and confessed that a former law enforcement officer had assisted him, The Associated Press (AP) reported . The officer alleged he was acting on his own initiative and had not told his superiors of his plans, according to the statement. Berezovska, 39, was wanted by Monégasque authorities for her alleged role in a June 29 attack reportedly aimed at Yermolaiev, a tycoon with connections to Russia , and his family, AP reported.…Open
‘An odious act’
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said Tuesday it discovered Ukrainian Anastasiia Berezovska shot dead after her alleged involvement in a recent Monaco bombing attack on wealthy Ukrainian oligarch Vadym Yermolaiev. SBU stated that an officer from Ukraine’s military intelligence agency admitted to the killing and confessed that a former law enforcement officer had assisted him, The Associated Press (AP) reported . The officer alleged he was acting on his own initiative and had not told his superiors of his plans, according to the statement. Berezovska, 39, was wanted by Monégasque authorities for her alleged role in a June 29 attack reportedly aimed at Yermolaiev, a tycoon with connections to Russia , and his family, AP reported.…Open
'An odious act'
Adding to the mounting scandals plaguing Ukraine, authorities have uncovered yet another significant bribery scheme; this one involving the recruitment and evasion of soldiers into the armed forces. The scandal, emerging from the Dnipropetrovsk region, reveals yet another thread in the ever-growing spool of corruption amid the ongoing war. On January 16, 2026, the Security […] The post Ukraine’s Endless Cycle of TCC Corruption: From Oligarchs to Local Bribe-Takers, The Dnipropetrovsk Scandal and Beyond appeared first on StoneZone .
Adding to the mounting scandals plaguing Ukraine, authorities have uncovered yet another significant bribery scheme; this one involving the recruitment and evasion of soldiers into the armed forces. The scandal, emerging from the Dnipropetrovsk region, reveals yet another thread in the ever-growing spool of corruption amid the ongoing war. On January 16, 2026, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) conducted searches at the home of the head of a district military medical commission (VLK), part of a local Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center (TCC). They uncovered over $307,000 in cash, with an additional ~$90,000 seized from a civilian intermediary, bringing the total haul close to $400,000. The money was reportedly stashed in…Open
AI:Authorities in the Dnipropetrovsk region have uncovered a significant bribery scheme involving the illegal issuance of medical certificates to help conscripts evade military service. During searches conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), investigators seized nearly $400,000 in cash from the head of a district military medical commission and an intermediary. The suspects are accused of charging fees starting at $2,500 per certificate to declare individuals unfit for service. This incident is part of a broader, persistent pattern of corruption within Ukraine's Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Centers (TCC) that has surfaced periodically throughout the ongoing war.Open