Zelenskyy under fire at home: corruption arrests, a deadly warehouse scandal, and a 1,000-drone war plan

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is facing the most serious domestic political pressure since the start of the full-scale war. A wave of corruption investigations, a catastrophic ammunition warehouse explosion that killed 37 civilians, and renewed calls for wartime elections are testing his leadership — and the EU is watching closely.

For expats in the Netherlands, this matters because Ukraine’s EU accession process — a key issue in Dutch politics and European Council debates — depends on exactly the kind of anti-corruption progress now under scrutiny. The Netherlands, as a founding EU member and a vocal advocate of rule-of-law conditionality, will have a direct say in whether Kyiv’s reform track record meets the bar.

Corruption cases hit close to the president’s office

On 25 August, the High Anti-Corruption Court ordered Iryna Mudra, a former deputy head of Zelenskyy’s office, to be remanded in custody for 60 days with bail set at UAH 20 million (about $447,000). Mudra is suspected of involvement in a scheme to seize assets worth over UAH 250 million ($5.6 million). She said she would try to raise the bail from “acquaintances and friends” — a comment that drew widespread criticism (Ukrainska Pravda).

The arrest is part of a broader anti-corruption operation codenamed “Forrest Gump,” carried out by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). The European Commission, asked about the operation, reiterated its “zero tolerance for corruption” and reminded Ukraine that fighting graft is a “central element for any country to join the European Union” (Ukrainska Pravda).

Zelenskyy has also met with the heads of NABU and SAPO, as well as the prosecutor general, to discuss the latter’s possible dismissal — a sign that the anti-corruption drive may be turning inward (Ukrainska Pravda).

The Myla tragedy: ammunition stored where it shouldn’t have been

On the evening of 28 August, a Russian strike hit a warehouse in the village of Myla in Kyiv Oblast’s Bucha district. The resulting detonation killed 37 people and injured 42, according to local authorities. Among the dead was the head of the Dmytrivka hromada (the local administrative unit), Taras Didych, who was helping rescue efforts (Ukrainska Pravda).

Zelenskyy was blunt: “The first strike was on an ammunition storage site that definitely shouldn’t have been there… Shells, mines, other ammunition, and drones detonated. The scale is significant.” He added that those responsible must be held accountable, and criminal proceedings for official negligence have been opened (Ukrainska Pravda).

The incident echoes a similar disaster in July in Vyshneve, also in Kyiv Oblast, where a warehouse explosion killed nine people. The repeated pattern raises questions about military discipline and oversight — issues that EU partners will note as they assess Ukraine’s institutional capacity.

Wartime elections? Not yet, but pressure grows

Zelenskyy has repeatedly rejected calls for wartime elections, arguing that holding a vote under martial law is legally impossible and logistically dangerous. But the pressure has not gone away. A former minister publicly demanded elections, and opposition figures are using the corruption scandals to argue that the government has lost its mandate (Al Jazeera).

Military shake-up and the 1,000-drone target

On the battlefield, Zelenskyy is pushing for escalation. He has set a goal of launching at least 1,000 long-range drones per day against targets inside Russia — up from an estimated 300. On 26 August, Ukrainian forces struck 16 Russian targets, including oil facilities, airfields, and a missile unit (Ukrainska Pravda; Al Jazeera).

Zelenskyy also replaced the Ground Forces commander, appointing Brigadier General Sviatoslav Zaiets, a veteran of the 2014 Crimea annexation with a focus on digitalisation and drones (Ukrainska Pravda).

Diplomacy: Trump’s message, Moldova, and a CIA visit to Moscow

Zelenskyy shared a warm Independence Day message from US President Donald Trump, who praised Ukraine’s “resilient spirit” and called for “a durable, lasting peace.” Zelenskyy responded by asking for Patriot PAC-3 interceptors (Ukrainska Pravda).

He also visited Chișinău for Moldova’s Independence Day, holding talks with President Maia Sandu and Romanian President Nicușor Dan (Ukrainska Pravda). And while Zelenskyy thanked the US for sharing information about CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s rare visit to Moscow, the Kremlin said Ratcliffe met only intelligence officials, not President Putin (Al Jazeera).

What this means for expats in the Netherlands

Ukraine’s stability directly affects the Netherlands. The Dutch government is a key player in EU enlargement debates, and any backsliding on anti-corruption could slow Ukraine’s accession — a topic that regularly surfaces in the Tweede Kamer (the Dutch parliament). Moreover, the war’s trajectory influences energy prices, refugee flows, and NATO’s eastern flank posture.

For internationals living here, following these developments through reliable sources like Ukrainska Pravda and European Pravda is essential. The next few weeks will show whether Zelenskyy can balance wartime leadership with the accountability that Brussels — and The Hague — demand.