No large-scale audits were conducted in the combat brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2026, spokesperson for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Dmytro Lykhoviy told Interfax-Ukraine, noting the spread online of a "manipulative interpretation of the findings" regarding an alleged "overspending of UAH 300 billion" following the publication of an article in The Economist.
"Materials aimed at discrediting the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are being circulated on social media and in various media outlets; these are allegedly based on an article on The Economist's website and concern an audit of military structures. We would like to point out that the original source states: "…An audit of the Ministry of Defense and army brigades revealed overspending amounting to 300 billion hryvnias ($6.6 billion)." "According to available information, no large-scale audits were conducted in the combat brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2026," the spokesperson said.
The General Staff said "information about such audits and the identified "overspending" (its nature, the nature of the expenditures, etc.), if it actually occurred, was not communicated to the military command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine."
Lykhoviy assured that if excessive spending had indeed been identified, steps would have been taken to identify those responsible and recover the losses, and the findings of such an audit would have been forwarded to law enforcement agencies.
"The article on The Economist's website does not, in fact, contain any claims that the mentioned "audit of the Ministry of Defense and army brigades" served as the basis for the defense minister to demand the replacement of the Armed Forces' leadership. Such a conclusion is a manipulative interpretation by a number of publications and bloggers who do not verify the facts and mislead readers," the spokesperson said.
At the same time, he explained the mechanism for determining the needs of and organizing procurements for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Specifically, the General Staff identifies the military's needs and prioritizes them, while the Ministry of Defense plans procurements, establishes rules, and carries out approvals and oversight. The direct conclusion of contracts, financing of deliveries, and oversight of their fulfillment are carried out by SOE of the Ministry of Defense 'Defense Procurement Agency,'" Lykhoviy said.
"In other words, the General Staff merely determines the military's needs, while the Ministry of Defense sets policy and orders procurements, and the Defense Procurement Agency ensures their practical implementation," he said.
Earlier, media reports indicated that Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov began his tenure as defense minister with an audit that allegedly revealed overspending of UAH 300 billion.
According to the publication, from the very beginning, he ordered an audit of the Ministry of Defense and army brigades, which revealed overspending of UAH 300 billion ($6.6 billion).
