What do we feel when we come across news about another corruption scandal online? We are no longer surprised. Because there is a war going on, because it is money, and, they say, what else can we expect? And then you reread the headline again: “Head of a charitable foundation stole 3,4 million hryvnias” – and you feel a little uneasy. Because if even volunteers steal, then what is happening anyway?
That's how black PR works. The only problem is that none of this happened. There was no trial, no verdict, no circumstances of the case. The police simply decided everything for the court.
No one thought that the war would drag on for years. That instead of a few months, people would have to live in a reality where volunteers expend more energy than the military, and the army's help would turn into something routine and even... suspicious.
From the first days of the war, volunteers took on an unbearable burden — endless searches for vehicles for the front, preparations for drones, nightly unloading of humanitarian aid, evacuation of people… They knew: as long as they help, the country will hold on, but now they have begun to persecute the volunteers.
Most recently, law enforcement agencies “had a nightmare” for the famous “Monsters Corporation” foundation, a foundation that had become a model of transparency, efficiency, and dedication. And if such foundations, which were considered the benchmark of honesty, were under the gun, what can we say about lesser-known, but no less important foundations and initiative groups?
Police handed down sentence instead of court
We are talking about the Adzhalyk charitable foundation, which began its activities long before the invasion began – back in 2016. The case against its leader, Serhiy Kryvenko, raises many questions, but we were especially surprised by the official statement of the National Police, published on the agency's Facebook page.
The statement refers to criminal proceedings against the head of a charitable foundation, but instead of objectively presenting the information, the police suddenly actually find the person guilty, although in reality only a pre-trial investigation is ongoing. The question arises: on what grounds do the police make such conclusions? Do they have the relevant expert reports that unequivocally confirm this? Have they been independently assessed and have all the documents and financial reports of the foundation been taken into account? And if there is no such evidence, then why are such categorical formulations used in the statement?
No less surprising is the fact that the statement calls the head of the foundation an “assassin,” although at this point he is only a suspect. According to the principle of the presumption of innocence, every person is considered innocent until proven guilty in court. However, the police ignore this basic legal principle, anticipating the court’s decision.
The document also states that the fact of embezzlement has already been proven. But by whom? If the police have such irrefutable evidence, why has the case not yet been transferred to court? If the investigation is ongoing, on what grounds do law enforcement officers declare guilt? From the words of the investigators, we can conclude that official conclusions have not yet been formed, but an unambiguous version of events is already being presented to the public.
Finally, if the National Police so categorically voices facts that are usually established only by a court, does this mean that there is already a corresponding court verdict? Of course, there is no verdict, and in this case, law enforcement officers clearly exceeded their powers by presenting as a fait accompli something that was not proven in a legal manner.
How can you escape 30 times?
When analyzing this situation, we relied on official documents that Serhiy Kryvenko himself published on his website. Facebook pageBank statements, purchase and sale agreements, deeds and video reports of volunteer cargo transfers — all of this is open for inspection, and we took advantage of it.
It is worth paying special attention to how the police describe Kryvenko’s departure abroad. The statement directly states that he “left Ukraine under the pretext of his charitable activities and went into hiding.” However, does the investigation have any real evidence that he is actually evading justice?
“Fleeing abroad” sounds loud. But Serhiy Kryvenko’s passport has 30 border crossings since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. All of them are related to the delivery of volunteer cargo. It’s somehow strange to suddenly run away if you had such an opportunity three dozen times, but each time you came back…
When the army urgently needed cars at the beginning of the war, he found them in Europe, bought them, refined them, repaired them, refined them again, and brought them to the front. Together with a group of volunteers, he handed over 157 vehicles to the military - ambulances, minibuses, trucks. Then came drones, turnstiles, bulletproof vests, and medicines, and all of this is documented.
But instead of checking, the police publish a statement about the “escape,” and it immediately spreads through the media.
Liquidation order
However, the question really remains: why did Kryvenko end up abroad? As he himself explains, back in 2022 he received state protection. Officially. Because he was a victim in four high-profile criminal cases at once. They tried to remove him several times, and he blames his former business partner for this, but these cases were never investigated.
And in March 2023, he received another message: it was ordered. $50 – and it simply wouldn’t come. According to him, despite filing a police report, there was no reaction, and the state security he “had” turned out to be as effective as a paper bulletproof vest.
And then he decided to leave and continue his work from abroad. Since then, the fund has not stopped for a day. And while the police are writing about his “escape”, his foundation evacuates over 500 children from frontline regions, delivers cars, linen, clothes, turnstiles, imports generators, repairs and much, much more.
Of course, all this is confirmed by reports and thanks from the military "at ground zero", but who needs reports when the story about the fugitive attacker "sells" much better?
What exactly did he “steal”?
But the most interesting thing about this story is the mechanics of the “theft.” Police claim that the fund collected over five million hryvnias, of which Kryvenko transferred three million to personal accounts.
And here it is worth stopping.
Yes, the money really came to his personal cards. That's a fact. But this is standard practice for volunteers. In the first months of the war, charity accounts could not work promptly due to NBU restrictions. And when you urgently need to buy a car for the front, without which our fighters may die, you can't wait two weeks for the bank to process the application.
Volunteers massively used personal cards for payments. This was also the case in Kryvenko.
The only difference is that now they called it “embezzlement,” deliberately ignoring the documents. But every hryvnia spent is confirmed. There are bank statements, purchase and sale agreements, invoices. Every donor received a report, and none of them has any complaints.
Criminal case as a method of destruction
Overall, this case is not about theft. It's about how the system works if you interfere with someone. First, you get smeared in the media, then several criminal cases are opened - so that, of course, there is pressure on your surroundings.
At the same time, someone goes to the entrepreneurs who worked with the fund and asks: “Did he ask for a kickback? Maybe he fictitiously transferred money?” And, of course, they hint: if they confirm it, it will be easier for them.
The case itself is dragging on, new episodes are opening up, and a sense of “serious crime” is created. And the goal is simple – to destroy the reputation and cut off all funding channels.
That's why it's very important. It's not just one volunteer, it's everyone. And if society calmly allows this to happen now, new persecutions will begin, and those who helped the army will begin to be summoned for questioning.
A hearing on this case will be held in the Malinovsky Court of Odessa on March 11. And if enough people come to it, perhaps law enforcement will remember that volunteering is not a crime.
