The controversy surrounding the CPC and Shabunin's military service
A public dispute continues over statements made by veterans and the “Honest Mobilization” movement regarding the 207th Territorial Defense Battalion and its former command, which mention Vitaliy Shabunin and Dmytro Sherembei, the founders of the Center for Combating Corruption. The parties are making mutual accusations regarding the alleged falsification of business trip documents and the absence of military personnel from duty, but there are no final legal conclusions in the case. The situation is accompanied by criminal proceedings and public debate.
The story surrounding the 207th Kyiv Territorial Defense Battalion, its former command, and representatives of the civil society sector gained widespread attention following statements by the “Honest Mobilization” movement and veteran Volodymyr Boiko, who cite data on possible violations during the processing of official business trips.
These statements mention the battalion’s former commander, Lieutenant Colonel Viktor Yushko, whom, according to the authors of the reports, is suspected by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) of exceeding his official authority, specifically in the “illegal processing of business trips for hundreds of military personnel, including activists Shabunin and Sherembey.”
A post by the “Honest Mobilization” movement states: “The former commander of the 207th Kyiv Territorial Defense Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Viktor Yushko, is accused by the State Bureau of Investigation of exceeding his official authority. Specifically, for the illegal processing of business trips for hundreds of military personnel. This includes the founders of the Anti-Corruption Action Center, Vitaliy Shabunin and Dmytro Sherembei.”
The same report also claims that such business trips allegedly allowed for the receipt of financial support and payments, while some of the servicemen could be away from their place of duty; however, these claims currently remain the position of one of the parties to the conflict and require legal assessment.
Separately, a statement by the “Honest Mobilization” movement mentions the position of veteran Volodymyr Boiko, who served in the 207th Territorial Defense Battalion and provided information regarding internal processes within the unit.
The materials also note that the founders of the Center for Combating Corruption, Vitaliy Shabunin and Dmytro Sherembei, according to the authors of the statements, hired attorney Marina Gavrilyuk to defend Yushko using grant funds, which has become a separate subject of public debate.
From the defense’s perspective, as cited in the materials, the position is as follows: “The activists understand well that if Yushko’s guilt is proven, they will go to prison too. Although under a different charge—for fraud and evasion of military service. That is why Shabunin and Sherembei hired a lawyer who is trying to frame the case as political persecution.” The prosecution also claims that additional violations in the unit’s operations were documented as part of the case, though this information must be officially confirmed by the investigation.
According to reports in the public domain, law enforcement agencies are investigating incidents related to possible violations during the organization of military deployments and the transfer of military personnel between units and training centers.
The case is currently under investigation, and the key allegations of the parties remain subject to review by investigative authorities and possible judicial proceedings, which will determine the legal assessment of the events and the liability of those involved. This was reported by the “Honest Mobilization” movement.
