Confidential Ukrainian government audits found that the country lost $1.2 billion to fraud and waste in 2024, while documenting persistent overpayment, intermediary deals and contracts awarded to companies that had failed to deliver or faced corruption charges. The reviews by the State Audit Service and an internal Ministry of Defense auditing department span more than 700 pages. They found that seven of Ukraine’s 10 largest military contractors received new business despite criminal investigations, delivery failures or executives’ corruption arrests. In one prominent case, the Defense Procurement Agency awarded Leonid Shyman’s factory a $280 million mortar contract while he was out on bail on corruption charges, even after the factory supplied thousands of defective rounds. The agency declined to comment.