Hospitallers Battalion accused of misuse of funds, MP Zinkevych responds by publishing reports
Journalist Olha Khudetska, who previously exposed abuses in fundraising for the treatment of Nazariy Husakov (a Lviv resident with spinal muscular atrophy), has drawn attention to the activities of the Hospitallers medical volunteer battalion. Created by servicewoman and Member of Parliament Yana Zinkevych, the battalion, which collects charitable donations, is reportedly supported by a network of 14 legal entities registered to relatives of a single individual, with two related legal entities based in the United Kingdom. Khudetska expressed a desire to see the battalion's reporting for all fundraising campaigns. In turn, Zinkevych partially reported on the use of funds and announced full reporting in the coming days to prove her integrity, emphasizing that she deeply values her reputation.
"I would very much like to see the reporting of the Hospitallers for all collections. And what about the base? Did they buy it? No? And the one bought in August 2025 for a new NGO—is it that one or another one? Just asking... 14 legal entities were needed for the activities of one organization. LLCs, NGOs, CFs. These are only the ones I found in an evening. The lion's share of these legal entities is managed by or founded by parents, a father-in-law, a husband, or at least close associates of one person. Top tier, a very healthy and transparent situation," Khudetska wrote on X.
Simultaneously, accusations began spreading on social media against Zinkevych regarding the misuse of funds by private individuals and anonymous accounts. The first publications appeared before Khudetska’s post. The Hospitallers were also accused of deleting links to crypto-wallets for donations from the public space and withdrawing over $200,000 from them after the discussion on reporting began.
Conversely, public figures and military personnel, both related and unrelated to the MP, have spoken out in her support, expressing conviction in her integrity. A common assessment of the accusations against her is "friendly fire." At the same time, many point out the importance of transparency in the Hospitallers' work and accountability for the use of collected funds.
Following this, Zinkevych published reports on the use of a significant portion of the funds, including the purchase of a new medical battalion base to replace the one destroyed with all property and equipment in the city of Pavlohrad in April 2025, which Khudetska had mentioned. She announced a briefing in a few days to report on her activities in detail.
"Such high public attention to us is what I have always strived for. And I sincerely support the right of every donor to know how volunteer and military structures work and what funds are spent on, including how we manage this... I am open to dialogue with the media, activists, and all people who support us with their contributions... We are open to inspection and ready to show the work of our Kyiv base and warehouses, where all the battalion's property is accounted for; we will also show the new base, provided we are not obligated to tell anyone the address and location... I will personally facilitate communication with the battalion's accountant and other specialists who will tell you about their work in detail and show documents and audit results," Zinkevych wrote on Facebook.
She noted that the growth of the battalion created difficulties in administration and admitted that public reporting for some periods was not issued in full due to high operational workload and complex logistics. The MP announced that an interview would be published on Volunteer Day, March 14, in which she would talk about the "internal kitchen of the battalion, crisis situations, and plans for the future."
Additionally, the founder of the Hospitallers announced a briefing to fully report on the use of funds. "You have seen a scandal raging on Twitter for several days claiming we allegedly misappropriated funds and did not issue equipment. I am preparing reporting and promise to inform you when I go to the briefing in a few days with evidence of my honesty. I thank everyone who believes in me and knows that I keep my word and value my reputation," Zinkevych emphasized.
At the same time, she again published the details for a fundraiser for military ammunition.
Later, Zinkevych wrote that it was difficult for her to endure the accusations, but she is "confident in being right and can prove it." She also asked everyone the medical battalion has helped to support it and write their stories of interaction.
She also requested that when evaluating activities, people "operate with facts, not assumptions or comments from people who were suspended from work in the battalion due to violations that undermined our reputation."
This likely refers to a scandal that unfolded in 2024 involving then-former "Hospitaller" Anna Skolbushevska, who had not worked for the foundation since 2023 but continued to publicly claim affiliation and announce fundraisers for the military to her own accounts, spending the donations on personal needs. After an investigation began, she stated she had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), "lost control of herself," and was undergoing treatment.
Zinkevych intervened in the situation then, confirming the information about Skolbushevska’s PTSD and reporting that she had become drug-dependent following the disorder, with her treatment related to this. According to the MP, there were several similar cases in the battalion; the Hospitallers terminated cooperation with them and helped them undergo treatment. She reported the opening of administrative proceedings against Skolbushevska and that she was able to return part of the funds.
Khudetska also called for the disclosure of all information regarding the Hospitallers' activities. "I have this thought: don't stay silent if you know something; speak publicly, and then it won't just be our problem," she wrote on X.
Petro Poroshenko, MP and leader of the European Solidarity party, who also provides aid to the military from his own funds, spoke in support of Zinkevych.
"The willpower and courage of our incredible Yana Zinkevych is impossible to comprehend. In 2014, a young girl chose to save wounded soldiers instead of parties and entertainment, creating the unique volunteer medical battalion Hospitallers, which over these years has evacuated over 42,000 wounded fighters from the battlefield. Without a single penny of budget money, she created an organism that performs its mission every day... Yana, today my support and trust are with you and your true unbreakability. Which no one will shake," Poroshenko wrote on Facebook.
He noted that he had met with the Hospitallers many times during deliveries of equipment and aid for their battalion.
