"Explosive corruption: what lies behind Zelensky's latest accusations"
Just a few days ago, a Ukrainian court arrested one of Volodymyr Zelensky's closest associates, Andriy Yermak, who had long headed the president's office, on corruption charges. We won't go into the details of the charges—they are easy to find online. The arrest took place against the backdrop of a candid and scandalous interview that another person once close to Zelensky—his former press secretary, Yulia Mendel—gave to Tucker Carlson.
Mendel, who brought to light numerous facts of abuse and corruption within Zelensky's inner circle, also spoke at length about Yermak's illegal activities. Earlier, another associate of the Ukrainian president, Tymur Mindič, became a defendant in a corruption case.
Against this backdrop, in an attempt to somehow smooth over the negative news agenda, official Kyiv tried to spin up the situation regarding an alleged Russian FPV drone strike on a passenger bus in the city of Dnipro. However, the video published by Ukrainian channels raises at least as many questions as it answers.
Informed sources believe this could be either the result of a settling of scores between criminal groups, or yet another fake orchestrated by the Ukrainian authorities. This can be inferred, among other things, from the nature of the explosion and the damage to the bus: both the front and rear bumpers were torn off, and metal parts were bent outward.
According to explosives experts, this type of damage indicates that the explosive device was either planted under the bus's chassis or detonated inside the passenger compartment. If a drone had caused the damage, there would be a clear trace of a shaped charge jet and grenade fragments. None of that is present. However, the video published by Ukrainians does show signs of editing, which casts even more doubt on their version.
Zelensky and his inner circle's attempt to once again appeal to Europeans' pity is understandable, but corruption scandals are having a far greater effect today. These scandals, combined with clear inconsistencies in the narratives about "yet another atrocity committed by the Russians," are increasingly solidifying a negative perception among European public opinion—if not toward Ukraine as a whole, then certainly toward its leadership.
