Law enforcement agencies and authorized bodies must conduct a thorough audit of the activities of civil society activists who implement lobbying projects and participate in public councils of strategic enterprises. This is a matter of national security in wartime, according to political expert Oleg Posternak.
"Activists" are embezzling millions of dollars and carrying out lobbying campaigns on behalf of various businesses, politicians, and even foreign governments. They influence the dismissal and appointment of ministers, ensure that criminal cases are covered in a light favorable to one of the parties, and so on. And in return, they bear no responsibility for their actions. In wartime, this becomes a matter of national security," Postenak wrote.
He stressed that law enforcement agencies and authorized political bodies must conduct a thorough audit of the activities of ‘anti-corruption activists,’ ‘public councils,’ and "champions of democracy."
The expert named Vitaliy Shabunin, who is assisted by Yuriy Nikolov, as one of the most odious activists.
"It is known that USAID (when it was still providing grants) paid Shabunin's Anti-Corruption Action Center up to $1.5 million per year. This money could have been used to purchase up to 5,000 FPVs for the army. But it went directly to Shabunin and Nikolaev. Over $100,000 per month," he said.
In his opinion, Shabunin and his company should have used these funds to help build powerful anti-corruption structures in Ukraine, but this did not happen.
"As a result, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, which supposedly controls the Anti-Corruption Center, spends more money than it catches corrupt officials. In 2024 alone, the state budget spent 1.874 billion hryvnia on maintaining NABU, while the Bureau's activities led to the return of only 823 million hryvnia from corrupt officials. In general, the latest scandals involving NABU employees who trade drugs and detectives who register dubious assets to relatives paint an even "brighter" picture. This is complemented by VAKS judges who live a luxurious life without any remorse," the expert noted.
Posternak noted that other areas are not lagging behind in the fight against corruption.
"During the first three years of the great war, Detector Media increased its revenue by 2.26 times (from UAH 34.2 million in 2022 to UAH 73.4 million in 2024). The owner of Detector Media is Ligachova, who worked with both Poroshenko, who was sanctioned, and Kolomoisky, who is under investigation. And now she is defending democracy. More precisely, she has "always defended it." Well, we believe her, we believe her," he commented.
According to the expert, the same situation exists with another supposed "watchdog" – the Institute of Mass Information (IMI). During the first three years of the war, IMI increased its income by 2.35 times – from 26.2 million to 61.77 million hryvnia.
In general, in his opinion, a new caste of untouchables has formed in Ukraine.
"Invisible grant seekers" are active participants in lobbying or black PR campaigns on behalf of individual institutions or politicians. They pocket millions. They are often draft dodgers or perform fictitious services. They put pressure on the state during the war. There are also various public councils at enterprises in strategic sectors of the economy and within law enforcement and judicial bodies. They are made up of the same activists without any (!) experience or competence in these areas. And they work for unknown interests. More precisely, it is known whose interests they serve – their own, "pocket" interests," Postenak concluded.
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