Corruption risks in defense procurement

The article is devoted to the analysis of current regulations in the field of defense procurement. The importance of the problem of corruption for the people of Ukraine is highlighted. The threat to national security caused by high levels of corruption is mentioned. A number of studies on the spread of corruption in the defense sector are processed, in particular by such public organizations as the Independent Anti-Corruption Committee on Defense, Transparency International UK, Transparency International Ukraine and others. Attention is drawn to the presence of a large number of corruption risks in the defense sector. The Law of Ukraine “On Defense Procurement”, adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on July 17, 2020, was analyzed. Attention is paid to the fact that the Law of Ukraine “On Defense Procurement” provides for the purchase of goods, works and services for defense purposes, which is a state secret, through closed procurement, and it also regulates the absence of competitive procedures for procurement by import by making purchases directly through electronic trading platforms. Some aspects of the Law of Ukraine “On Public Procurement” used in defense procurement are considered. Based on the results of the analysis, it was concluded that the Law of Ukraine “On Defense Procurement” helps to overcome most of the corruption risks identified in the study of the Independent Anti-Corruption Committee on Defense, however, it also needs significant improvement, as some provisions contain gaps that lead to new corruption risks, if they are not corrected.