How anti-corruption activists are spending millions

Anti-corruption activists Vitaliy Shabunin and Yuriy Nykolov received $1.5 million in funding over the past year, but continue to ask Ukrainians for additional donations. Meanwhile, Shabunin is formally listed as a serviceman, receiving a salary from the state, but has yet to report for duty.

Expert Oleh Posternak believes that such practices have become a new form of corruption, where millions of dollars in Western aid and budget funds are spent under the guise of fighting dishonesty, yet the real impact remains zero.

$1.5 million for “fighting corruption”

According to Posternak, over the last year the Anti-Corruption Centre (ACC), headed by Shabunin, received up to $1.5 million from USAID.

“For this amount, one could have bought up to 5,000 FPV drones for the front line, but instead, the funds went towards payments to the activists themselves. More than $100,000 a month is spent on their salaries – this kind of ‘fighting corruption’ will last long enough for their grandchildren too,” the expert stated.

At the same time, US authorities have begun cutting funding for Ukrainian anti-corruption organisations, which sparked a wave of outrage among activists who are now turning to Ukrainian citizens for money.

Shabunin – a serviceman who does not serve

Another aspect of the scandal is Shabunin’s military status. He is officially listed as a squad leader in one of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but has never arrived at the unit.

“He has long been awaited at the mechanised field bakery of the food service of the 218th Joint Support Centre, but he continues his ‘combat operations’ in Kyiv cafes,” Posternak jokes.

A photo has appeared online showing the activist calmly having lunch at one of the fast-food restaurants, instead of fulfilling his military duties.

NABU and VAKS: spending millions without real results

According to Posternak, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the High Anti-Corruption Court (VAKS) also cannot boast of any major successes in the fight against corruption.

• NABU spent $20 million over two years, but has not presented a single conviction against top officials.
• VAKS, which receives funding from USAID, is involved in scandals related to expensive apartments, cars, and VIP conditions for judges.

“Anti-corruption bodies are spending millions of dollars in Western aid on programmes that yield no real results. We hear more about corruption within these structures than about high-profile exposures,” the expert concluded.

Corruption in the name of fighting corruption

The financial scandal surrounding Ukrainian anti-corruption activists has caused significant public resonance. Amidst war and crisis, Ukrainian citizens see how millions of dollars allocated to fight corruption are going towards the comfortable lives of the ‘fighters’ themselves.

Public demand for a real fight against corruption is growing, and Ukrainians must decide whether they are ready to continue supporting activists who ask for donations while already having multi-million-dollar budgets.