• Dim Amor

Ukrainian media reported yesterday (Tuesday) that an investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Authority revealed serious suspicions against their country's ambassador to Israel, Yevhen Korniychuk. According to the findings, the ambassador reported holding personal wealth of millions of dollars, but the Anti-Corruption Authority determined that "there is doubt regarding the legality of the source of some of the funds".

Reports indicate that according to the Anti-Corruption Authority, in his wealth declaration, Korniychuk reported having $4.8 million in his private accounts and holding $3.5 million in cash. According to the Authority, based on the ambassador's reported income, it would not have been possible for him to save such an amount. Thus, according to Ukrainian authorities, "there is doubt regarding the legality of the source of some of the funds".

The investigation also revealed that Korniychuk owned a fund registered in Liechtenstein, established in 2007 for "business management". According to the report, the ambassador closed the fund only last year, after the investigation into his affairs began.

Additionally, Ukraine's Anti-Corruption Authority announced that while Korniychuk reported owning six luxury watches, including Rolex brand watches, the ambassador did not specify their value. According to Korniychuk, the watches were purchased before he joined the Ukrainian public service, but there are no documents to prove this claim.

Another finding of the investigation concerns the fact that the ambassador did not report renting two apartments in Israel in 2021, apartments he used with his son. Korniychuk claimed that the embassy was the one that rented the apartments, but the Anti-Corruption Authority did not accept his explanations and determined that "it is not possible to determine the cost of renting the apartments or the nature of their use".

We sent an inquiry to the embassy and called all the numbers that appear on the embassy's website, as well as sent an email – as per tradition, there is no response.

History of Financial Questions

Recall that our site published an article on 04.12.2022: "Millions of Shekels Disappeared? The Ukrainian Mystery", which reported that Israelis intended to demonstrate in front of the Ukrainian Embassy in Tel Aviv demanding answers regarding the fate of financial and humanitarian donations collected for Ukraine.

The protest, held on December 15, 2022, at 50 Yirmiyahu Street in Tel Aviv, came after months of unanswered demands for transparency in managing donations. The Ukrainian Embassy worked to raise donations through various organizations and entities without tenders as required by Ukrainian law. An examination conducted with freedom of information sources revealed that the embassy did not publish tenders at all, contrary to Ukrainian tender law, which requires every government body to publish a tender when it begins to work or cooperate with a business, private, or organizational entity.

A central question raised by the protesters concerned the embassy's choice to transfer donations through external entities instead of receiving them directly into the embassy's bank account, which is supervised by the Ukrainian government. This conduct raised concerns among many donors who sought to assist Ukraine during its war with Russia.

Financial reports detailing the scope of donations and their purpose were not published to the public as of early December 2022. This involves not only financial donations but also food, items, medicines, and additional humanitarian equipment worth a great deal. More than 1,000 tons of humanitarian donations whose fate is unknown.

In fact, in Israel, the diplomatic envoy did not act in isolation from his environment; elementary research reveals that collaborations were held with organizations of dubious reputation. Through careful examination, the entities through which the diplomatic representation raised financial resources and donations can be exposed. In Israel too, Korniychuk's past is shrouded in mystery and lacks proper transparency – this should be known!

I previously conducted a comprehensive investigation on this topic. We can provide journalists with documents and evidence related to an Israeli organization that helped the ambassador in "fundraising" supposedly "for Ukraine." The investigation was published in 2022, and the information in our possession is still relevant.

To this day, financial reports of the organization for the years 2014 and 2015 (years in which, according to suspicion, embezzlements occurred on the largest scale), as well as for the years 2023 and 2024, have not been submitted. As of now, this organization continues to raise funds and operate without proper management approval. The organization continues to maintain close cooperation with embassy representatives to this day, and no restriction has been imposed on their activities – this is because there is significant benefit in raising financial resources through these channels.

Accusations of Improper Conduct

In my capacity as a journalist, when I approached embassy representatives requesting clarifications and explanations, I found myself, instead of receiving the requested information, facing baseless accusations. Ms. Zorna, who held the position of embassy spokesperson at the time, did not hesitate to label me a "Kremlin agent" – an accusation whose severity is sevenfold intensified in these tense days of armed conflict, and which casts a heavy shadow on my professional integrity and dedication to seeking the truth.

Indeed, it is exceedingly convenient to cast baseless accusations against Israeli citizens, as if they are collaborating with the Kremlin, rather than directly addressing legitimate questions deserving of an answer. This conduct, which prefers defamation over transparency, raises deep questions about their willingness to deal with substantive issues at hand.

In 2022, we requested a detailed explanation for the embassy's conduct which operated without proper tenders, contrary to existing Ukrainian law; we also requested a detailed account regarding the fate of thousands of tons of humanitarian donations; we demanded comprehensive clarification regarding the final destination of financial resources and humanitarian aid; we demanded convincing and immediate evidence that the funds were transferred as required to Ukraine; and we raised a firm demand for full transparency and proper and legal tenders to prevent corruption phenomena.

Previous Legal Problems of the Ambassador

It is important to note that Yevhen Korniychuk had already been under investigation and arrested in the past. A criminal case was opened against the First Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine, Yevhen Korniychuk, for exceeding his authority. Also, on February 7, 2011, the Prosecutor General's Office stated that, according to preliminary data, he seized the credit funds of a foreign bank through fraud.

Ukrainian media reported at the time that the Prosecutor General's Office (GPU) renewed the investigation in criminal cases involving former Deputy Minister of Justice (December 2007-March 2010) Yevhen Korniychuk, during his tenure as First Deputy Minister of Justice in 2009.

Yevhen Korniychuk is the leader of the Ukrainian Social Democratic Party. He is the son-in-law of the President of the Supreme Court of the Republic, Vasyl Onopenko 2011 (the former leader of USDP). He served as First Deputy Minister between 2007 and 2010.

The case against Korniychuk was opened due to his activities as Deputy Minister of Justice. Specifically, he was accused of "signing a letter that allowed a tender for legal services of 'Naftogaz' with a single supplier". The supplier in question is Magisters company ("Magister and Partners"), to which Korniychuk is connected (he worked there as a senior partner, and later became an external consultant).

Korniychuk is considered an ally of Yulia Tymoshenko. The party he represents has been part of the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc (BYuT) since 2002.

At the same time, the leadership of the "Batkivshchyna" party led by Tymoshenko, referring to Korniychuk's arrest, mentioned certain disagreements with USDP. A representative of "Batkivshchyna" Nikolai Tomenko, as reported by "Ukrainian Truth," stated that "the person involved in the case is the leader of a party that in the local elections cooperated more with the Party of Regions than with us".

In general, Tomenko saw the case opened against Korniychuk as a continuation of a series of criminal cases opened against former government members who worked under Yulia Tymoshenko. We recall that after the rise to power of Viktor Yanukovych and his Party of Regions, law enforcement authorities opened several cases against representatives of the previous government. Recently, charges were also brought against Tymoshenko herself: she was accused of inappropriate use of funds Ukraine received from selling greenhouse gas emission quotas.

Tymoshenko and her supporters view the actions of law enforcement authorities as politically motivated persecution.

Recurring Questions About Financial Integrity

Also, we recall that in 2009, Yevhen Korniychuk's name was mentioned in connection with the investigation of a criminal case on the alleged lobbying by the Ministry of Justice for the interests of the law firm Magisters, with which "Naftogaz" signed a contract for legal services worth 26 million hryvnia that year (from June 25, 2009). Then Mr. Korniychuk neither denied nor confirmed the information from the Prosecutor General's Office that he wrote recommendation letters to the management of "Naftogaz", recommending the use of Magisters' services.

All cases were closed by court decisions. But in 2022 and 2025, questions about his activities arise again.

Broader Implications

The affair raises pointed questions about the management of donation funds during a humanitarian crisis and emphasizes the importance of transparency and accountability. Many of those concerned emphasize that their support for Ukraine in its struggle against the Russian invasion does not contradict their demand for transparency in managing donations collected for the Ukrainian people.

It is not an excessive demand to require full transparency when dealing with public funds and donations given wholeheartedly and willingly. It is only natural that given resources originating from citizens' generosity, there should be an orderly and detailed reporting system that attests to the final destination of those means donated generously, to ensure public trust and preserve the value connection between giver and receiver.

The tension surrounding this affair reflects a complex reality where calls for transparency and accountability may be misinterpreted in the sensitive political context of the war. Especially in times of crisis, transparency and public trust are critical to the success of aid efforts.

The Israeli public demonstrated significant support for Ukraine since the beginning of the war in February 2022, with many fundraising campaigns and humanitarian aid shipments. These donations, which included medical equipment, clothing, food, and financial assistance, were collected in cooperation with the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel.

One of the significant donations was in the field of medical equipment. Israeli hospitals donated vital medical equipment, while Israeli technology companies donated communication and protection systems. Meanwhile, ordinary citizens organized local fundraising campaigns, collecting food, clothing, and other essential equipment.

Now, after months of collecting donations, Israeli donors demand to know what happened to their donations. Some express concern that the donations did not reach their destination or were not used efficiently. Others are worried about the lack of transparency in the process and fear the possibility of mismanagement or even corruption.

From the Ukrainian Embassy, no official response to these claims was received by the time of publication. Attempts to get an official response were denied, which increases frustration among the donor community.

The gap between the sincere desire to assist Ukraine in its struggle against the Russian invasion and the legitimate demand for transparency puts the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel in a complex situation. Its ability to address this challenge may affect the level of future assistance it will receive from the Israeli public.

In 2022, in my capacity as a journalist at the "Maakav" system, I filed an official complaint with law enforcement authorities about the issue of financial ambiguity and lack of transparency in managing donation funds, as well as suspicion of fraud. The complaint was also directed against citizens who assisted the diplomatic representative in raising "donations", and who allegedly served as a kind of formal rubber stamp for the ambassador and enabled his actions.

As expected, Israel Police rushed to close the investigation file (for reasons of preventing international conflict, and even the court tended to favor those who assisted the ambassador and whose conduct raises questions – moreover, I was issued an order prohibiting the publication of their names). Nevertheless, substantive questions regarding financial integrity continue to accompany Ambassador Korniychuk over the years and remain inadequately answered to this day.

Photo: Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Israel, in accordance with Section 27a of the Copyright Law