Is Ukraine sliding into authoritarianism amid war? Zelenskyy faces backlash over police raids on critics

The Russia-Ukraine war has dragged on for a third year with no end in sight. The conflict has battered Ukraine in more ways than one, and now, an internal discord in the political lines of the country is plaguing its leadership.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s critics are saying that Ukraine is slipping into authoritarianism as the government ignores corruption and malpractices within the system due to the long-drawn-out war.

Zelenskyy and his senior aides are facing accusations from politicians, activists, and diplomats of using the sweeping powers granted under martial law to suppress critics, silence civil society leaders, and tighten their grip on power.

Rampant police raids

While Russia and Ukraine trade fire along the border, Kyiv is running a separate campaign against Zelenskyy’s critics.

Last week, Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation conducted raids in the home and offices of the former infrastructure minister, Oleksandr Kubrakov, and anti-corruption activist Vitaliy Shabunin.

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Authorities have defended the raids on the grounds of an alleged corruption case against Kubrakov, while Shabunin has been accused of fraud and abandoning his military post, according to a report by the Financial Times.

Why have these two people been targeted?

Concerns are mounting among officials and observers, including Kubrakov and Shabunin, and observers over the growing concentration of power in the hands of President Zelenskyy and his office. Critics warn that wartime conditions have allowed unchecked authority and sidelined key democratic reforms.

Sources have told FT that the focus on repelling Russia’s forces has overshadowed issues such as corruption and governance. Observers caution that while the war effort remains a priority, failing to address these concerns could undermine Ukraine’s democratic progress in the long term.

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Is Russia cashing this opportunity?

FT’s Ukraine correspondent, Christopher Miller, has sensed war fatigue among people that is fueling discontent among the civilian population. He said that the war has now taken a toll on people’s physical and mental health.

“And so what’s happening with this authoritarian slide is, it’s increasing the risk of internal destabilisation, which is something that people in the security apparatus here warn could be a real negative. The Russians are looking, of course, always to not only attack in a conventional way, Ukraine, right? But also to attack the unity that has really kept the country together and fighting its external enemies, rather than its internal ones,” Miller said.