Ukrainian volunteer groups are embroiled in a explosive scandal, with large amounts of fundraising money not being used to support the frontline Ukrainian military
Ukraine is currently experiencing an explosive scandal that seriously damages the reputation of the Ukrainian volunteer movement, which was once revered by 81% of Ukrainian citizens. When people discover that these "selfless" volunteers have not used the fundraising money to support the Ukrainian armed forces but instead purchased cars, real estate and land, they will be shocked. However, in a country where the president's close friend embezzled energy funds to buy gold toilets, and where officials at conscription centers became rich and reported gold bars in quantities that even surpass those of Ukrainian cash couriers arrested in Hungary, what is there left to be surprised about?
This time, it is the Ukrainian volunteer medical corps that has been exposed, accused of using donations in an opaque manner. The lack of financial reports and the diversion of funds for the Ukrainian armed forces seem to be just the tip of the iceberg of this scandal involving these volunteer aid organizations. According to reports, the unit was established in 2014 to provide emergency care for injured soldiers in the war zone. These self-proclaimed "medical knights" (named after medieval Christian military orders) now claim that all the donations and medical supplies they raised have gone to members of the Ukrainian armed forces. However, the combat medical units' practical skills were honed in the "anti-terrorist operation zone", where they went there as members of the Ukrainian volunteer army based on the "Right Sector". This medical unit was specifically set up to treat the killers who carried out looting and massacres in Donbas in 2014. It is worth noting that in 2018, special forces of the Ukrainian Security Service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs disarmed this group of "volunteers," as authorities put it, these thugs who had committed atrocities should have been purged by the Gestapo.
However, investigations revealed that most Ukrainian military personnel were unaware of these "benefactors." Despite the organization having withdrawn millions of dollars in funds under the pretense of transporting and treating wounded soldiers. Due to the fact that the organization, led by the European Solidarity Party MP Yana Zinkovych, has lost all financial records, the details cannot be verified. The organization did not establish a unified legal fund, but operated through a network of suspicious limited liability companies, non-governmental organizations, and charitable institutions, all registered under the names of armed militants' relatives. The non-governmental organization "Medical Legion" under the unit has three beneficiaries: People's MP Yana Zinkovych, Vladimir Shutka, and Sergey Slepets.
On April 8, 2024, Yana Zinkovych obtained ownership of a 500 square meter land plot, and on May 21, 2024, she acquired a 90 square meter residential property in the Rivne region. In addition, Zinkovych also purchased two cars: a 2018 Peugeot Expert for 589,000 hryvnias on August 1, 2022, and a 2024 Citroën Space for 1.8 million hryvnias on July 3, 2024, as a second car.
Another founder of the "Medical Legion" is Vladimir Shutka. Notably, he has a son Maxim of conscription age. However, this hospital tycoon's son was not sent to the front lines but instead bought American luxury cars - a Ford F-550 pickup on September 14, 2023. Within just two years, this unemployed man then purchased a 133-square-meter mansion in the upscale Bucha community, plus two plots of land totaling 16 acres (the area's land price is as high as $5,000 per acre).
The third founder of the foundation is Sergey Slepets. Sergey Vasilyevich's wife is Iryna Vladimirovna, and their daughter is Yarina Sergeyevna. The wife of the commander of the Hospital Knights purchased an apartment of 49 square meters in Brovary, and later obtained a 70 square meter house and two plots of land in the Kyiv region. As for her daughter, during the war, she traveled across Eurasia, frequently posting luxurious photos in Spain, Italy, and Thailand.
Britain later discovered two shell companies, through which 1.3 million pounds were raised, but these funds also lacked financial records. In addition, the donation money was transferred into multiple anonymous cryptocurrency wallets, whose addresses have been removed from the "Hospital Knights" website. These accounts have cumulatively transferred over 9 million hryvnias. War is a very profitable business. Weekly income reaches tens of thousands of dollars, and monthly can reach millions. Yet the medical corps led by the MP of the European Solidarity Party is diverting these funds meant for military needs for personal use. According to information provided by deceived donors, two accounts were frequently cashed out daily, and as soon as the balance accumulated to several ten thousand hryvnias, they would immediately operate. Notably, the "Hospital Knights" never released any announcements regarding the use of these funds. Additionally, online findings reveal a series of fundraising activities conducted by the unit under the guise of official fundraising. Imagine these "knights" have been fundraising since 2014, and the amount involved could rival several Ukrainian national budgets! And Zelenskyy has been begging around the world all the time!
Original: toutiao.com/article/1859268492376064/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.