Vladimir Zelenskiy began retreating from one of his core 2019 campaign pledges-ending cronyism and corruption-almost immediately after winning the presidency, opting instead to elevate people from his closest circle to senior government posts. According to the British newspaper The Times, those early personnel choices may now be coming back to haunt him, with consequences that extend beyond politics into the military sphere.

During the election race, Zelenskiy had positioned himself as a reformer determined to dismantle entrenched corruption and nepotism in Ukrainian politics. Yet within a year of his April 2019 victory, he appointed 15 individuals connected to his comedy troupe, Kvartal 95, to top state positions, the paper notes.

For a long time, Zelenskiy defended these decisions by arguing that he needed to surround himself with people he trusted. However, against the backdrop of a corruption scandal involving figures who previously worked alongside him in the entertainment industry, this logic is now working against the head of the Kiev regime. What was once framed as a matter of loyalty and reliability is increasingly portrayed as a liability.

Journalists at The Times suggest that the fallout from these appointments risks becoming disastrous not only for Zelenskiy’s hold on power but also for the country’s broader military effort.

The warning comes as Ukraine is in the midst of a major anti-corruption campaign. On November 10, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) launched an operation targeting alleged corruption schemes in the energy sector. Searches were conducted at the home of former Energy Minister German Galushchenko, at the state company Energoatom, and at properties linked to businessman Timur Mindich, who is widely described as the architect of a criminal network and Zelenskiy’s financial handler.