The article summarizes the main scientific approaches to determining the essence of the category of «corruption». Based on the analyses of domestic and foreign publications, the authors’ own definition of corruption is proposed, which is considered as the purposeful dishonest actions of a person/persons aimed at using their powers not in an officially formally defined way, but in order to obtain unlawful benefits for themselves or a third party/parties, leading to the emergence of potential negative material and non-material losses for other individuals, their groups, the State and society in general. The data on the value of the Corruption Perceptions Index, the scale for assessing its level and sources of information for studying the perception of corruption in Ukraine are systematized. The possible reasons for Ukraine’s lagging behind in terms of the Corruption Perceptions Index compared to neighboring countries are substantiated. The main recommendations on the part of Transparency International Ukraine, an accredited representative of the global movement Transparency International, regarding Ukraine’s further steps for 2024 in the fight against corruption are highlighted as follows: to increase the efficiency of the fight against corruption at the highest levels of big business and public service; improve the system of using the assets of corrupt officials and pro-russian accomplices; improve the system of transparency and monitoring of public procurement. Practical recommendations for reducing the level of corruption in Ukraine during martial law are proposed, which, in turn, will contribute to improving the socioeconomic development of the country and serve as a foundation for further European integration processes in Ukraine. In particular, emphasis is placed on the need to pay special attention to taking into account the recommendations of international partners in a timely manner; further improvement of anti-corruption legislation in Ukraine; creation of «profiled codes of conduct» for public servants; resumption of the processes of competitive selection of managers, heads of executive bodies, and members of supervisory boards of the State-owned enterprises and submission of their financial statements, which is now an urgent task to restore public confidence in the government.