Corruption has overtaken the war with Russia as the greatest perceived threat to Ukraine’s future, according to a new poll from Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) released on May 6 that highlights mounting public frustration over governance despite the country’s wartime unity.

The survey found that 54% of Ukrainians now regard corruption as the main danger facing the country, compared with 39% who identified the war as the greater threat. Two years ago, the figures stood at 48% and 36% respectively, indicating that concern over corruption has widened even as fighting with Russia continues across the front line.

The result comes as a fresh corruption scandal breaks following the release of secret recordings by National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) of discussions by top Ukraine politicians from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy inner circle released last week as part of the Energoatom corruption scandal that has rocked Ukraine.

The results reflect growing pressure on Zelenskyy’s administration to demonstrate progress on anti-corruption reforms that have become central to Ukraine’s bid for closer integration with the European Union and continued western financial support.

The Ukrainian president is facing a growing domestic political crisis as he loses the support of his own ruling Servant of the People (SOTP) in the Rada. His popularity remains high with 58% of the responders trusting his leadership, but his ratings are slowly falling. And the population is weary of the war and now the majority want him to make more concessions to Russia to bring the conflict to an end.

Ukraine has received tens of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance from the US, the EU and international financial institutions since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Western governments and lenders have repeatedly tied long-term reconstruction funding and EU accession efforts to stronger rule-of-law standards and institutional reforms, but NABU’s evidence suggest that hundreds of millions of dollars, or more, have been siphoned off by Ukraine’s ruling elite in a number of widespread scams.

Public anger over corruption has persisted despite the war. Several senior Ukrainian officials have been dismissed or investigated since 2022 over allegations involving procurement irregularities, defence contracts and misuse of state funds. Kyiv has argued that these investigations demonstrate that anti-corruption institutions are functioning even during wartime conditions.

Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index showed Ukraine improving gradually over recent years, although the country still ranks well below most EU member states. Anti-corruption bodies including the NABU and its sister organisation, the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, both of which are entirely independent of the government, have expanded investigations during the conflict.

The findings also illustrate the challenge facing Ukraine’s leadership as it seeks to maintain domestic confidence while sustaining a prolonged war effort. The economy has been heavily damaged by Russian attacks on infrastructure, millions of citizens have been displaced and the state remains dependent on external financing.

Yet even under continued missile and drone strikes, many Ukrainians appear increasingly concerned that entrenched corruption could weaken the country from within.