Corruption in the Crosshairs: The Debate Over Transparency and Saving Face

Welcome to The Ukraine Compass, a weekly digest of Ukrainian commentary and analysis from across the political spectrum, only for War on the Rocks members. Each week, we bring you a curated selection of articles from Ukrainian media offering insight into how Ukrainians themselves debate the issues shaping their country.Western coverage often narrows the view to the battlefield — these pieces widen it, revealing the texture of daily life, politics, and public argument in a nation at war. The perspectives gathered here are varied, candid, and often surprising, together forming a more complete picture of Ukraine as it really is.Frontline and StrategyЦензор.НЕТ — Censor.NETNews and opinion site with a strong pro-defense, typically conservative voice“Butusov on the World’s First Underground Offensive and the Review of Mobilization Exemptions: Should We Expect Real Change?”By Radio NV/Oct. 26, 2026Yurii Butusov, a drone company commander in the National Guard’s Khartiia Corps, describes Operation Veles near Kupiansk as the world’s first underground offensive, in which Ukrainian troops advanced 15 kilometers through a gas pipeline Russian forces had fortified, cutting off their infiltration across the Oskil River. He welcomes Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Drapatyi’s reported order barring corrupt officials from military posts but notes it could have been done without one. Butusov sharply criticizes the government’s latest review of mobilization exemptions as a Soviet-style populist campaign that breeds corruption, arguing instead for confidential, sector-based workforce planning.“Changing recruitment and service arrangements requires planning, not one-off initiatives announced on a whim. First, we need an inventory of available human resources in both the military and the civilian sector. Then we must determine which civilians can be recruited, in what order, and at what age, identifying who is healthy and fit for service and who works in critical infrastructure or the defense industry. Once that pool is calculated, the military should receive Members-Only ContentThis article is reserved for War on the Rocks members. Join our community to unlock exclusive insights and analysis.