Anti-corruption activist Shabunin accused of draft dodging and forgery of documents

The State Bureau of Investigations is conducting an investigation into allegations of draft dodging and document forgery. These charges stem from a single incident. Despite Shabunin’s reputation for exposing corruption among Ukraine’s top officials, he now finds himself implicated in criminal behavior. This is reported by journalist Vladimir Boyko.

As per Boyko’s report, Shabunin allegedly presented several letters, purportedly signed by the head and deputy head of the National Anti-Corruption Agency, Novikov and Sytnyk, respectively, to the military unit where he was officially registered for service. These letters requested that the unit temporarily assign Shabunin to their agency. However, subsequent to a public scandal, the NACP leadership officially denied sending such letters and accused Shabunin of fabricating them.

Reportedly, Shabunin received a monthly salary of 1200 euros during this service, comprising 500 euros as monetary compensation and 700 euros for completing combat tasks. The legal case against Shabunin was initiated in December, following a lawsuit filed by lawyer Rostislav Kravets and a decision by the Shevchenko District Court of Kyiv. Shabunin himself acknowledged being aware of the criminal allegations in media comments. He claimed to have voluntarily enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the second day of the invasion and expressed confusion over the accusations of draft dodging. It is worth noting that, according to Shabunin’s declaration, his military service was based in the Kyiv military enlistment office rather than on the front lines.