06.01.2025 Investigations Tenders

Humiliation, pressure and harassment: what is happening inside the Ministry of Veterans?

C4 - У Чернівецькій області запрацювало управління з питань ветеранської політики

The Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs of Ukraine, which is now one of the country’s strategic ministries, has openly shown its indifference to protecting and assisting veterans. Not only are there corrupt schemes to make money from people who defended the country at the cost of their health and lives, but there is also hazing and outright humiliation of employees coming from the highest levels of the agency.

Former employees publish their own stories of working at the Ministry under Natalia Kalmykova’s leadership. For example, the publication of Yevhen Shybalov emphasizes the toxic atmosphere in the institution. The employee shares his personal experience:

“There were great difficulties with compliance with paragraph 1 of part one of Article 7 of the Law of Ukraine “On Civil Service”. This is the article that states that “every civil servant has the right to respect for his or her dignity”. Since this norm is often ignored, I learned a lot about myself in less than six months from inspiring motivational speeches by my superiors.

“In six months of work, I heard so much humiliation from my bosses that I had to quit. I was constantly called a ‘dumbass’, a ‘PR guy’, ‘nobody does anything’, and discussions about my personal life became a common practice. I couldn’t take this kind of treatment anymore.”

This is just one example of the culture of contempt that prevails in the institution. Can you imagine how many similar non-public cases took place in the Ministry?

Why, instead of helping veterans, providing quality conditions for treatment, rehabilitation, and improving the procedure for obtaining combatant status and compensation, do we have humiliation, pressure, and harassment? Has Ukraine still not moved away from Soviet hazing?

We don’t even expect a reaction from Minister Kalmykova, because we think she could have made similar statements. But we still have questions for Prime Minister Shmyhal. Why no reaction? How can similar events take place in a ministry that is leading in wartime?

The “Ministry of Veterans” makes money on veterans

In the course of previous investigations, we have also discovered manipulations with budget funds within the Ministry of Veterans.

For example, millions of dollars worth of contracts for services that do not seem to be of primary importance for supporting veterans are being signed through fictitious individual entrepreneurs and companies controlled by Kalmykova and other high-ranking officials.

For comparison, private entrepreneur Gostrenko received over UAH 2.5 million for software development, and Forservice UA Sales LLC conducted questionable opinion polls for UAH 350 thousand. The Ministry spent a total of UAH 4 million to support the e-Veteran service. However, veterans have not yet experienced any real positive changes from the platform.

This raises a rhetorical question: do former and current military personnel really need social surveys and marketing?

And while thousands of soldiers who have returned from the front face months of waiting to receive combatant status, payments and rehabilitation, Kalmykova and her subordinates are making money.

In this regard, we have already sent statements and complaints to law enforcement agencies and investigating judges demanding that the Ministry immediately start inspections. As a result, the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv ordered the State Bureau of Investigation to launch an investigation within the framework of criminal proceedings (case No. 761/43703/24). However, we have not received any results. Are law enforcement officers really interested in making money off of veterans?

Did you witness a crime?

Let us know about it. We will help protect the violated rights!

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