Ukraine's economy could independently finance the army and provide a decent standard of living for pensioners if corruption levels decreased to acceptable limits. Today, systemic embezzlement has reached such a scale that the state machine is not just stalling, but effectively halted.

As reported by Hvylya, this analysis was presented by energy and infrastructure expert Oleg Popenko on the PopenkoPro YouTube channel on February 12, 2026.

According to the expert's calculations, the volume of funds siphoned from the budget through corrupt schemes is colossal. Blocking these flows would allow social standards in the country to rise manifold without external borrowing. Popenko asserts that eliminating corruption would enable Ukraine to fully pay off state debts and achieve military self-sufficiency within the next two to three years.

"If corruption is defeated in Ukraine, we will have enough money to pay pensions. And the pension will not be 4,000 hryvnias, which 70% of the population receives, but an average of 10,000," Popenko stated.

Analyzing the nature of Ukrainian corruption, the expert used a vivid metaphor, comparing bribes to engine oil. He noted that corruption is a component of many economies, but the issue lies in its concentration. He cited the presidency of Leonid Kuchma as an example, when the "corruption tax" was 5-10%. This allowed the system to function and the economy to grow by 8-12% annually.

"Corruption is oil poured in to make the engine run well... But imagine corruption in the current situation, where it constitutes 40-50%. The engine cannot drive because it has been flooded with this oil; it is simply floating... We have already drowned in corruption," the analyst emphasized.

Popenko also drew parallels with global practices. He noted that in the US, corruption is legalized through lobbying and strictly controlled, while in South Korea, the fight against it is uncompromising—up to prison terms for former presidents and corporate heads. In Ukraine, however, the speaker believes the fight against corruption often turns into an imitation involving both so-called "grant-eaters" and officials themselves. The result of this policy is that about 20% of the country's population has found itself "beyond the bounds of biological survival," lacking money even for food.

Earlier, Popenko criticized the idea of replacing Soviet thermal power plants with new ones.