As corruption costs lives on battlefield, Ukrainians demand change
Clad in black, Iryna Olyanska welcomes mourners to a memorial service for her only son, Artem, being held at a local restaurant 40 days after his death. He was shot by Russians while fighting on the front lines near Kupiansk. And Ms. Olyanska is angry.
Not just at the Russians, but also at the corruption that has beset defense procurement since the start of the war, with deadly consequences for men like Artem fighting for Ukraine.
There are many elements to her anger. Artem’s commander later told her that their unit had advanced behind enemy lines, but lacked a drone to support their mission with aerial reconnaissance. Russians, on the other hand, did have eyes in the sky and opened fire with deadly precision.
The tourniquets Artem applied to the wounds he suffered could have saved his life. But they were cheap, Chinese-made items and broke on the spot. Fellow soldiers stepped in to replace them, but he died while being evacuated.
