Key facts
- 72% of Ukrainians believe President Volodymyr Zelensky is personally politically responsible for corruption among his associates.
- 25% of Ukrainians do not believe Zelensky bears responsibility for corruption among his allies.
- 50% of respondents cited corruption as their primary concern.
- 72% of Ukrainians believe corruption has increased since Russia's full-scale invasion.
- The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) investigated alleged corruption involving the Prosecutor General's office.
A significant majority of Ukrainians, 72%, believe President Volodymyr Zelensky bears personal political responsibility for corruption among his associates, according to a poll released on September 28, 2026, by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).
Another 25% of respondents stated that Zelensky does not bear such responsibility, while 3% remained undecided. The survey highlights ongoing concerns about corruption within Ukraine's government, which has been impacted by several major scandals involving allies of Zelensky, senior officials from the President's Office, and ministers over the past year.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) recently conducted searches at the office of then-Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko as part of an investigation into an alleged protection racket for scam call centers. A senior prosecutor described as Kravchenko's confidant was charged in connection with the probe.
The KIIS poll also revealed that 72% of Ukrainians perceive an increase in the level of corruption since Russia's full-scale invasion, with only 6% reporting a decrease. The survey, conducted among 1,002 adults across Ukraine (excluding Russian-occupied territories) from September 12 to 21, found that dissatisfaction with the government over corruption and/or incompetence was cited more frequently than the war itself.
When asked about their primary concerns, 50% of respondents named corruption, making it the most common issue. Other significant concerns included Russia's missile and drone attacks (40%), government incompetence (30%), and the situation at the front lines (21%).
Earlier polls indicated shifting public sentiment: in April, 54% of Ukrainians viewed corruption as a greater threat than the war, while in a prior survey this year, 65% identified the war and related challenges as Ukraine's biggest issue, compared to 29% who named corruption.