Ukraine's General Staff has dismissed reports alleging that an audit uncovered UAH 300 billion (USD 6.6 billion) in excessive spending by the Armed Forces, saying the claims are false.
In a comment to Ukrinform, the Main Communications Directorate of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that reports circulating on social media and in several media outlets are part of an effort to discredit the military leadership and are based on a misrepresentation of an article published by The Economist.
"Social media and a number of media outlets are circulating materials aimed at discrediting the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, allegedly based on a post on The Economist's website concerning an audit of military structures. We draw attention to the fact that the original source states: '...An audit of the Ministry of Defense and army brigades found overspending amounting to UAH 300 billion ($6.6 billion).' According to the information available to us, no large-scale audits of combat brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were conducted in 2026," the Directorate said.
It added that no information about such inspections or any alleged overspending – including its nature or the areas of expenditure – had been communicated to the Armed Forces' military command.
