Information War: The National Agency for Corruption Prevention Warns of Manipulation Regarding Corruption
27 March 17:56
More than 70% of Ukrainians get their information about corruption from social media, and roughly half of that content shows signs of misinformation.
This was stated by Viktor Pavlushchyk, head of the National Agency for Corruption Prevention,
during the Paris Forum on Defense and Strategy 2026, reports "Komersant Ukrainian".
Information warfare as part of the war
According to Viktor Pavlushchyk, the confrontation surrounding the issue of corruption takes place not only in the political and institutional spheres, but also in the informational and cognitive space.
He emphasized that:
- social media has become the main source of information for citizens;
- a significant portion of the content shows signs of manipulation or disinformation;
- this discourse influences public sentiment and the political agenda.
In his words, “a narrative war can destroy social cohesion just as rockets destroy infrastructure.”
Corruption Risks During War
The head of the National Agency for Corruption Prevention noted that full-scale war increases the risks of corruption in areas where the greatest resources are concentrated:
- defense;
- national reconstruction;
- energy.
To mitigate these risks, Ukraine is focusing on:
- digitizing procedures;
- strengthening the independence of anti-corruption institutions;
- supporting mechanisms for public oversight.
The Threat of “State Capture”
During a side event at the OECD Global Anti-Corruption & Integrity Forum 2026, Pavlushyk also presented mechanisms designed to prevent the capture of the state by private interests.
Key tools include:
- monitoring the assets and lifestyles of public officials;
- monitoring of political party and campaign financing;
- analysis of corruption risks in sensitive sectors;
- establishing a lobbying framework to ensure transparency regarding influence on legislation.
Oversight in the defense sector
The National Agency for Corruption Prevention also conducts an analysis of corruption risks in the security and defense sector.
In particular, the agency:
- reviewed risks in logistical procurement;
- analyzed the procurement of drones for the army.
According to Pavlushyk, the recommendations provided are already being implemented by defense agencies, including the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
Balancing transparency and security
In the defense sector, full transparency of procedures is impossible, as some information is restricted.
At the same time, trust in the system is ensured by:
- effective control mechanisms;
- anti-corruption reviews of regulations;
- monitoring of the use of public resources.
According to the head of the NACP, international partners value not only open data but also trust in the rules and institutions that ensure the minimization of corruption risks.
The next step is an independent assessment of the NACP
Earlier, Viktor Pavlushyk called on the government and international partners to launch an external independent evaluation of the National Agency for Corruption Prevention’s activities for the 2022–2025 period.
Such an audit should assess the effectiveness of anti-corruption policy and help improve the agency’s work amid the war.
