Shabunin, NABU, and VAKS have managed to control each other while acquiring tens of millions of dollars over the year, according to an expert.

Shabunin and Nikolov, the so-called "anti-corruption" activists, received $1.5 million in just one year, yet they are asking Ukrainians for financial support. Additionally, Shabunin continues to receive a military salary without having reported for duty.

The way millions of dollars in U.S. aid and budget funds are utilized by organizations such as the CPC (Shabunin), NABU, and VAKS under the guise of fighting corruption can be termed corruption 2.0, where millions are spent with zero effect, writes expert Oleg Posternak.

Shabunin and Nikolov, who have managed to secure $1.5 million in just one year, are soliciting financial support from Ukrainians. The scandal surrounding the cessation of funding for Ukrainian anti-corruption activists by American taxpayers has exposed the concept of corruption 2.0: where millions of dollars are consumed in the name of fighting corruption in exchange for nothing. After all this, these individuals come into the public arena asking Ukrainians to donate to them,” Posternak stated.

He noted that USAID paid Shabunin’s Center for Counteracting Corruption nearly $1.5 million within just 12 months.

“With that money, it would have been possible to purchase up to 5000 FPV drones for the front. Shabunin and Nikolov spent it on themselves. Over $100,000 in monthly salaries. Such a powerful fight against corruption will last even for their grandchildren,” he remarked.

At the same time, the expert reminded that Shabunin receives several hundred thousand hryvnias a year from the state as a military salary, yet he has not yet arrived at his new place of service.

“Shabunin has long been awaited at the mechanized field bakery of the food supply unit 218 of the Unified Logistics Support Center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, where he has been appointed as a section commander. He was supposed to arrive there long ago, but he still hasn’t shown up. All this time, the unit has been without a commander. Because the commander is on a ‘combat mission’ – enjoying a small portion of fries and a hamburger at McDonald's in Kyiv. A photo of the ‘hero’ who cannot reach his military unit has surfaced online,” he reported.

Analyzing the real achievements of the “anti-corruption” activists, the expert pointed out that aside from Shabunin's CPC, neither NABU nor VAKS, operating in this area, have anything to boast about.

“The National Anti-Corruption Bureau, which is monitored by the Center for Counteracting Corruption, has spent more resources than it has caught corrupt officials. The agency has consumed almost $20 million in grant funds just in the last two years. We haven’t heard of any cases against top officials that would lead NABU to a real conviction in recent years,” he emphasized.

Posternak reminded of the Bureau's real “achievements” – the leak of information about NABU’s unprofessionalism from its former detective Denisyuk and the escape to Romania of another former detective Arshavin. However, there has been no news about the imprisonment of top corrupt officials, he noted.

Another recipient of American aid, according to Posternak, is the High Anti-Corruption Court (VAKS), which is specifically mentioned in the CPC report.

“VAKS has also utilized millions from USAID for ‘air’ programs. The result was a scandal involving VAKS judges who have lost all moral compass: they have been litigating against the state for funds, buying elite housing with cars, and extorting preferential housing loans for ‘poor’ judges against the backdrop of millions in U.S. aid. All this is under the close scrutiny of the Center for Counteracting Corruption funded by USAID,” Posternak concluded.