Hospitallers battalion accused of non-transparent use of donations worth tens of millions
The Hospitallers medical battalion is at the center of a scandal following allegations of non-transparent use of funds raised for the needs of volunteers. Journalist Olha Khudetska wrote on her X (Twitter) account about the alleged lack of public reporting on the use of some of the battalion's donations.
Don't hospitals publish reports?
Khudetska cited as an example the UAH 20 million collection announced in August 2025 after the destruction of the Hospitallers' base as a result of a russian strike on Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk Region. The tax was aimed at equipping a new base to replace the destroyed one. But no reports were published.
Another user X with the nickname "Fantastyka" drew attention to a fundraiser for ammunition that was simultaneously held for two "banks" - the battalion and its commander Yana Zinkevych. Later, the link to the second bank disappeared, and no report on the money raised for it was published either.
In addition, the publications noted that small amounts of money were regularly withdrawn from some fundraisers after accumulating from UAH 10,000 to UAH 20,000.
According to Khudetska, the activities of the Hospitallers are connected with at least 14 legal entities of various forms. Some of them, according to her, involve commercial activities. She also stated that about GBP 1.3 million were raised for the battalion in the UK. In addition, according to her, about USD 210,000 was withdrawn from the organization's crypto wallets without public reporting.
After these statements appeared, crypto wallet addresses began to disappear from the organization's website.
Reaction to the scandal
The commander and founder of the Hospitallers, Yana Zinkevych, who is a current MP from Petro Poroshenko's European Solidarity party, admitted that the reporting on the use of the funds raised "was not fully published due to the high operational load and complex logistics of the work." The head of the battalion also promised to provide full reports.
Meanwhile, the information provoked a wide social response. The Hospitallers were also reminded of the scandal involving the misappropriation of funds by a former employee, Anna Skolbushevska, call sign Admiral Nyav, who spent volunteer money on her own needs, including gambling. Then the battalion staff confirmed the fraud and even filed a complaint with law enforcement about the embezzlement.
At the same time, there are those who call for not publishing such investigations. For example, veteran activist Oleh Symoroz said that such stories could undermine the credibility of the volunteer movement.
Who are the Hospitallers?
The Hospitallers is a volunteer medical battalion founded by Yana Zinkevych in 2014. Volunteers provide first aid and evacuate wounded soldiers from the war zone. According to the organization, as of February 1, 2026, the battalion has evacuated more than 43,000 wounded.