Political Risk:

Moderate

Score:

55/100

Defence and Security Policy and Policy Transparency

Collapse
Q1 58/100

Is there formal provision for effective and independent legislative scrutiny of defence policy?

View Question
Formal rights Score: 50 / 100
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (the Parliament of Ukraine) is the sole legislative power in Ukraine [1], and it has a monopoly over approving…
Explore
Effectiveness Score: 75 / 100
The VRU regularly approves laws on security and defence. One of the latest examples is the Law of Ukraine № 2268-19 “On the peculiarities…
Explore
Independent legislature scrutiny Score: 50 / 100
The president ensures the national security [1] of Ukraine, and has the most effective legislative initiative since 73% of all draft laws introduced by…
Explore
Q2 42/100

Does the country have an identifiable and effective parliamentary defence and security committee (or similar such organisations) to exercise oversight?

View Question
Formal rights Score: 50 / 100
The Law of Ukraine [1] ensures that parliamentary committees and special commissions only have the power to analyse the progress of implementation of laws…
Explore
Expertise Score: 50 / 100
The Committee on National Security and Defence is comprised of 13 MPs, eight of which have experience in being engaged with the defence and…
Explore
Responsive policymaking Score: 75 / 100
All fundamental laws on defence and security have been amended in recent years, these amendments took place as a response to the Russian aggression…
Explore
Short-term oversight Score: 50 / 100
In 2015-2017 the committee had 30 meetings on average each year [1]. In 2017, committee members initiated one amendment to the Budget of Ukraine…
Explore
Long-term oversight Score: 0 / 100
According to corresponding reports, the committee did not conduct any long-term investigations on current activities. Nor did it commission any external body to do…
Explore
Institutional outcomes Score: 25 / 100
The committee asked the Prime Minister of Ukraine to ensure the proper preparation of draft laws before submitting them to the VRU [1]. But…
Explore
Q3 56/100

Is the country’s national defence policy or national security strategy debated and publicly available?

View Question
Scope of involvement Score: 50 / 100
The main defence policies and security strategy are debated by the executive, the president, the legislature and the public, although the latter three seem…
Explore
Scope of debate Score: 75 / 100
In their debates around the defence policies and security strategy in Ukraine the executive, the president, the VRU and the public address issues such…
Explore
Public consultations Score: 50 / 100
There is a lack of evidence that the government holds formal, regular public consultations on defence policy and security strategy; main defence policies come…
Explore
Transparency Score: 50 / 100
The main defence policies and security strategy are easily available on the VRU and President of Ukraine official websites. However, there are exceptions such…
Explore
Q4 75/100

Do defence and security institutions have a policy, or evidence, of openness towards civil society organisations (CSOs) when dealing with issues of corruption?

View Question
Policy of openness Score: 100 / 100
The Law of Ukraine [1] provides that activities of the AFU and other defence institutions and law enforcement bodies (if the information is not…
Explore
CSO protections Score: 50 / 100
Although citizens of Ukraine have constitutional rights to freedom from accusations [1] and freedom of expression [2], there is evidence that CSOs are under…
Explore
Practice of openness Score: 75 / 100
The MoD has experience cooperating with anti-corruption CSOs, including Transparency International Ukraine, the Independent Defence Anti-corruption Committee (NAKO), and the Norwegian Center for Integrity…
Explore
Q5 25/100

Has the country signed up to the following international anti-corruption instruments: UNCAC and the OECD Convention?

View Question
Signatory and Ratification status Score: 25 / 100
Ukraine is a major arms exporter [1] and has both signed and ratified the UNCAC, which came into force in 2010 [2]. However, Ukraine…
Explore
Compliance Score: NA / 100
This indicator is scored Not Applicable, as Ukraine is a significant defence exporter and the OECD Convention is the relevant document. It is worth…
Explore
Q6 75/100

Is there evidence of regular, active public debate on issues of defence? If yes, does the government participate in this debate?

View Question
Public debate Score: 100 / 100
Razumkov Centre and DCAF are the CSOs conducting roundtables and seminars on defence and security issues regularly involving academics, journalists, opinion-formers and CSOs as…
Explore
Government engagement in public discourse Score: 50 / 100
There is evidence that government representatives (MoD, NSDC and state-owned defence enterprise officials) engage in discussion with the public on the issues of defence…
Explore
Q7 88/100

Does the country have an openly stated and effectively implemented anti-corruption policy for the defence sector?

View Question
Anti-corruption policy Score: 100 / 100
There is an Anticorruption strategy adopted by the CMU and aims to create an effective national system of prevention and counteraction of corruption [1].…
Explore
Effective implementation Score: 75 / 100
The anti-corruption action plan at the level of the MoD is Annexe 1 to the MOD Anticorruption programme for 2015-2017 [1]. Annexe 1 also…
Explore
Q8 50/100

Are there independent, well-resourced, and effective institutions within defence and security tasked with building integrity and countering corruption?

View Question
Mandate and resources Score: 75 / 100
There are several units responsible for combatting corruption within the MOD. First, the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau. The Bureau coordinates and supervises the…
Explore
Independence Score: 0 / 100
The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau is subordinate to the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine [1]. The Internal Audit Department is also subordinate to…
Explore
Effectiveness Score: 75 / 100
NABU can be seen as one of the effective authorities tasked with combatting corruption; it also one of the first state authorities to investigate…
Explore
Q9 NS/100

Does the public trust the institutions of defence and security to tackle the issue of bribery and corruption in their establishments?

View Question
Score: NS / 100
This indicator is not assigned a score in the GDI. According to recent polls, Ukrainian citizens consider corruption the biggest problem of the country,…
Explore
Q10 75/100

Are there regular assessments of the areas of greatest corruption risk for ministry and armed forces personnel, and are the findings used as inputs to the anti-corruption policy?

View Question
Risk assessments Score: 75 / 100
There is evidence of the MoD given the task to conduct corruption risk assessments [1], and the MoD calling civil society organisations to participate…
Explore
Regularity Score: 50 / 100
There are regular (once every three years) fundamental assessments of the areas of corruption risk for the MoD and the AFU. For instance, the…
Explore
Inputs to anti-corruption policy Score: 100 / 100
The risk assessment findings are used to develop and regularly update the MoD anti-corruption policy [1]. Thus, for instance, the MoD drafts and adopts…
Explore

Defence Budgets

Expand
Q11 58/100

Does the country have a process for acquisition planning that involves clear oversight, and is it publicly available?

View Question
Acquisition planning process Score: 75 / 100
The MoD generally conducts two types of procurement: open and classified. If the information on a particular good or service is classified (battle tanks,…
Explore
Transparency Score: 50 / 100
Information on the process of classified defence acquisitions is classified itself including the information on the justification of purchases, timelines and outcomes. At the…
Explore
External oversight Score: 50 / 100
There is a lack of evidence of external oversight over defence acquisitions, although there is oversight, particularly over procurements in place. If referring to…
Explore
Q12 75/100

Is the defence budget transparent, showing key items of expenditure? And it is provided to the legislature in a timely fashion?

View Question
Comprehensiveness Score: 75 / 100
The government made some steps for more financial predictability and stability. On January 31, 2018, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted changes to the Budget…
Explore
Timeliness Score: 75 / 100
In 2015, the government started a good practice of introducing draft laws on the annual State Budget in two and a half months prior…
Explore
Q13 75/100

Is there a legislative committee (or other appropriate body) responsible for defence budget scrutiny and analysis in an effective way?

View Question
Formal rights Score: 100 / 100
Ukrainian MPs adopt the state budget (including for defence and security) by voting for the annual Law on State Budget. The VRU Committee on…
Explore
Influence on decision-making Score: 50 / 100
The defence budget of Ukraine is a part of the annual State Budget of Ukraine and falls under its regulations [1]. The competences of…
Explore
Q14 67/100

Is the approved defence budget made publicly available? In practice, can citizens, civil society, and the media obtain detailed information on the defence budget?

View Question
Proactive publication Score: 75 / 100
The State Budget of Ukraine for 2018 (as well as its defence clauses) are published each year after its adoption (as well as the…
Explore
Comprehensiveness Score: 75 / 100
The State Budget of Ukraine for 2018 (as well as its defence clauses) is fully disclosed for the public and regularly published [1]. Defence…
Explore
Response to information requests Score: 50 / 100
There is no particular evidence on information requests regarding the defence budget. In 2017, however, the MoD received and processed more than 1100 information…
Explore
Q15 67/100

Are sources of defence income other than from central government allocation (from equipment sales or property disposal, for example) published and scrutinised?

View Question
Transparency Score: 75 / 100
The annual laws on the State Budget of Ukraine contain information on all budget revenues by type of revenue, amounts received, and include all…
Explore
Institutional scrutiny Score: 100 / 100
The State Audit Service conducts the external financial control [1] as well as the Accounting Chamber, which also conducts the financial control of classified…
Explore
Public scrutiny Score: 25 / 100
Generally, information about public scrutiny of defence income is absent in the open sources in Ukraine. There is some evidence of public scrutiny of…
Explore
Q16 69/100

Is there an effective internal audit process for defence ministry expenditure (that is, for example, transparent, conducted by appropriately skilled individuals, and subject to parliamentary oversight)?

View Question
Activity Score: 50 / 100
The Internal Audit Department is an internal MoD unit that audits the financial and material resources of the MoD to prevent the illegal and…
Explore
Enabling oversight Score: 75 / 100
With 64 bn. UAH, the MoD budget for 2017 [1, 2], the Internal Audit Department managed to audit 81 bn. UAH worth of assets…
Explore
External scrutiny Score: 75 / 100
There is no evidence for anticorruption CSOs being provided with internal audit reports; however, the Internal Audit Department regularly publishes general findings and statistics…
Explore
Institutional outcomes Score: 75 / 100
Implementation of the Internal Audit Department’s recommendations in 2016 made before the adoption of management decisions provided additional income and prevented unnecessary costs of…
Explore
Q17 50/100

Is there effective and transparent external auditing of military defence expenditure?

View Question
Activity Score: 50 / 100
Ukrainian legislation has provisions on two authorities conducting auditing and monitoring of defence expenditure. Namely, the State Audit Service which conducts external financial control…
Explore
Independence Score: 25 / 100
The State Audit Service carries out the external financial control function on behalf of the Government and is under to the CMU (the CMU…
Explore
Transparency Score: 75 / 100
Both the State Audit Service [1] and the Accounting Chamber [2] proactively publish their findings online, activities reports [3, 4] as well as their…
Explore
Institutional outcomes Score: 50 / 100
Both the State Audit Service [1] and the Accounting Chamber [2] proactively publish updates on the state of implementation of their recommendations including both…
Explore

Nexus of Defence and National Assets

Expand
Q18 40/100

Is there evidence that the country’s defence institutions have controlling or financial interests in businesses associated with the country’s natural resource exploitation and, if so, are these interests publicly stated and subject to scrutiny?

View Question
Legal framework Score: 0 / 100
Defence institutions are not prohibited from having controlling or financial interests in businesses associated with Ukraine’s natural resource exploitation. For instance, the MoD is…
Explore
Defence institutions: Financial or controlling interests in practice Score: 75 / 100
There are instances of the MoD being involved in businesses related to country`s national resource exploitation, but these are MOD legal activities with the…
Explore
Individual defence personnel: Financial or controlling interests in practice Score: 75 / 100
Defence personnel are prohibited (except for servicemen of regular military service and cadets) from engaging in other paid (except for teaching, scientific and creative…
Explore
Transparency Score: 0 / 100
According to a publicly available list [1] of all enterprises owned by the state, the MoD runs 118 enterprises, including those on the temporarily…
Explore
Scrutiny Score: 50 / 100
MoD enterprises, including those related to Ukraine’s national resource exploitation, are subject to public scrutiny [1]. There is no evidence of parliamentary scrutiny of…
Explore

Organised Crime

Expand
Q19 50/100

Is there evidence, for example through media investigations or prosecution reports, of a penetration of organised crime into the defence and security sector? If no, is there evidence that the government is alert and prepared for this risk?

View Question
Penetration of organised crime Score: 50 / 100
According to 2015 data, the most common violations amongst servicemen was unauthorized retirement or service – 63.3% [1]. The Military Law-Enforcement Service stated there…
Explore
Government response Score: 50 / 100
The government is aware of the possibility of organised crime in the defence sector [1] and declares its will to take corresponding actions [2].…
Explore
Q20 67/100

Is there policing to investigate corruption and organised crime within the defence services and is there evidence of the effectiveness of this policing?

View Question
Existence of policing function Score: 100 / 100
There are three authorities authorised to combat corruption and organized crime within the defence service: the Military Law-Enforcement Service [1], Security Service of Ukraine…
Explore
Independence Score: 50 / 100
There are reasons to doubt the independence of the Security Service of Ukraine [1] since the Security Service of Ukraine is under the control…
Explore
Effectiveness Score: 50 / 100
There is no strong evidence of undue political influence on the NABU; it investigates cases of high ranking military officers being involved in corruption…
Explore

Control of Intelligence Services

Expand
Q21 50/100

Are the policies, administration, and budgets of the intelligence services subject to effective and independent oversight?

View Question
Independence Score: 50 / 100
The VRU Committee on National Security and Defence is only authorized to provide legislative support of the security services, intelligence and counterintelligence activities [1].…
Explore
Effectiveness Score: 50 / 100
The MPs, including members of the VRU Committee on National Security and Defence, have access to classified information at all levels of secrecy, which…
Explore
Q22 25/100

Are senior positions within the intelligence services filled on the basis of objective selection criteria, and are appointees subject to investigation of their suitability and prior conduct?

View Question
Objective selection criteria Score: 25 / 100
There are four executive bodies in Ukraine whose activities are related to intelligence: Security Service of Ukraine (due to its counter-intelligence powers), MOD Main…
Explore
Selection bias Score: 25 / 100
The President of Ukraine has a decisive influence on the SSU activities [1], appointments to the service [2] as well as on the appointments…
Explore
Vetting process Score: NEI / 100
There is not enough information to score this indicator. There is no publicly available information on the investigation of candidates by external parties (besides…
Explore

Export Controls

Expand
Q23 25/100

Does the government have a well-scrutinised process for arms export decisions that aligns with Articles 7.1.iv, 11.5, and 15.6 of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)?

View Question
Signatory and Ratification Score: 50 / 100
Ukraine signed the ATT; however, it has not ratified it yet [1]. Ukraine is a major arms exporter [25] and has its own export…
Explore
Compliance Score: NA / 100
Ukraine signed the ATT; however, it has not ratified it, yet [1].
Explore
Parliamentary scrutiny Score: 0 / 100
Upcoming arms exports are not debated in the VRU, although sometimes MPs touch on issues of arms export and export control [1, 2]. Some…
Explore

Lobbying in Defence

Expand
Q76 0/100

Does the country regulate lobbying of defence institutions?

View Question
Legal framework Score: 0 / 100
Ukraine failed to develop and to approve legislation on lobbying and the country does not regulate these kinds of activities. Several expert institutions in…
Explore
Disclosure: Public officials Score: NA / 100
This indicator is marked Not Applicable given that lobbying is not regulated in Ukraine, and there is no requirement to disclose lobbyist meetings at…
Explore
Lobbyist registration system Score: NA / 100
This indicator is marked Not Applicable given that Ukraine has neither has a legal framework for lobbying, nor any mandatory or voluntary registration system…
Explore
Oversight & enforcement Score: NA / 100
This indicator is marked Not Applicable given that there is no legal framework regulating lobbyist activities and there is also no oversight entity in…
Explore