The former "hospitaler" misused donations for gambling and travel. Here’s what you need to know about Admiral Nyav.

The fundraising scandal erupted in the summer of 2024, but new details have continued to emerge. The main events unfolded on Twitter (now X), where the former "hospitaler" Anna Skolbushevskaya, known by her nickname "Admiral Nyav," repeatedly collected donations.

Since 2022, Anna had been one of the salaried fundraisers and, as a paramedic, participated in rotations in combat zones, which contributed to her popularity on social media. She was also involved in the creation of the medical evacuation bus "Austrian," which is valued by the "Hospitalers."

All of this, along with her friendly relationships with other Ukrainian activist groups, led to Admiral Nyav gaining a high level of trust among those who knew her. She took advantage of this trust by actively collecting funds for her accounts and promoting fundraising efforts—not only for the "Hospitalers" but also for other organizations.

How It All Started

At the end of June, attentive X users noticed discrepancies in Admiral Nyav's fundraising activities. For instance, 3,000 hryvnias were withdrawn from the fundraiser for tourniquets without explanation. Additionally, Skolbushevskaya withdrew 166,000 hryvnias from the fundraiser for blood transfusion systems for the “Solomenskiye Koti” without providing a report.

For this fundraiser, a certificate for a Stop the Bleed course was promised as a prize among donors. So when the fundraising account was closed and there was no word about the drawing, people began to ask questions. Anna promised to report back “in a few hours” and… disappeared.

The longer her silence lasted, the more discussions about her potential misconduct spread on X. The “Solomenskiye Koti” explained that Admiral Nyav was a friend of the foundation, and they fully trusted her, so they were not pressuring her and were waiting for her to get in touch.

However, questions also arose among her friends. Writer Yevgeny Lir later revealed that for five days, “a bunch of people” tried to reach Anna—calling her phone and even going to her home, but she did not answer the door.

Break with the "Hospitalers"

Amidst the scandal, the Hospitalers announced that Skolbushevskaya had not been working with their foundation since December 2023. At that time, she made her last transfer to their accounts. However, she did not refuse further deployments to combat zones as a paramedic.

This caused confusion—despite the non-public break, Skolbushevskaya still indicated the medical battalion in the description of her page and claimed to be raising funds for her own crew's needs.

Moreover, she stated that she was supposed to return “on rotation” in June—since May, she had been traveling around Europe, explaining that she went abroad for business that, if successful, “should bring us over 100,000 euros.”

Criticism also arose regarding the organization collecting funds for individual workers' cards. “Hospitaler” Ekaterina Galushka explained that “Anna's accounts were fund accounts while she worked there,” and after her dismissal, they “remained with her.”

The question of whether the foundation's workers saw Anna's fundraising efforts and why they did not react sooner remained unanswered. Later, the commander of the "Hospitalers," Yana Zinkevich, clarified that “each person can individually raise funds for various needs and then report on their expenditures.”

However, against the backdrop of the scandal, the "Hospitalers" initiated an internal investigation with a promise to publish a report on their activities.

Internal Investigation

In early July, Skolbushevskaya issued a public statement—the last to date—that raised more questions than it answered. The girl finally transferred 166,000 hryvnias to the “Solomenskiye Koti,” but for some reason, not from the Monobank account where she had collected donations, but from another bank.

She briefly explained her actions by stating that due to stress and post-traumatic stress disorder, she “lost control over herself.” On the advice of doctors, she was hospitalized and is undergoing medical treatment.

“My behavior has cast a shadow over our double. I feel very bad about this. I am very ashamed because the 'Hospitalers' were the first to extend a helping hand to me, and I am very grateful to them for that. But I ask you not to associate me and my actions with them… After treatment, I am ready to sort out what I have accumulated,” she wrote.

The "Hospitalers'" investigation found that the money collected was spent by the girl on “personal needs, gambling, expensive travels across Europe, concert tickets, and other entertainment.” Additionally, she concealed serious health issues, as well as gambling and substance dependencies.

“People from her close circle knew about this but neither helped nor informed the battalion's leadership that a person with PTSD had started engaging in such bad activities,” the commander of the "Hospitalers" shared in a comment to “Telegraph.”

Police Involvement

Regarding the probable fraud by Skolbushevskaya, a criminal case was registered following a report from director Nariman Aliyev and journalist Max Shcherbina. They were among those affected by Admiral Nyav's actions, as in January 2024, they raised 235,000 hryvnias for fuel for the "Hospitalers" and transferred it to Skolbushevskaya. However, according to them, the money never reached the fund.

“Why did we transfer the money specifically to Skolbushevskaya's account? Her details were listed on the official 'Hospitalers' page as those of a person responsible for logistics. She was a verified representative of the battalion,” Shcherbina explained.

The legal side of the issue is being handled by a lawyer provided by the "Hospitalers." The organization explained that they themselves reached out to law enforcement. However, only an administrative case was opened based on their statement, as the battalion is not considered a victim. Those who donated money to Anna's accounts were the ones who suffered. Therefore, the organization gathered information on them to file a report with the police.

According to Shcherbina, the goal of the plaintiffs is to understand how much money Anna did not transfer to the battalion in total, to recover it, and “ideally, to put Skolbushevskaya behind bars.”

At the girl's home, the "Hospitalers" seized medical supplies and items that she was likely supposed to hand over to someone. Part of these items was returned to the identified recipient, while the remaining supplies are stored within the battalion.

According to the "Hospitalers," Skolbushevskaya continues her treatment “in a specialized facility” in Ukraine. She was officially removed from the battalion, surrendering her property, insignia, and symbols of the battalion.

For their part, the "Hospitalers" have revised the internal rules and practices of the battalion and are now asking to donate only to the fund's account or to the accounts of individuals listed on the official website.

“Despite this unfortunate incident, the 'Hospitalers' will not stop their work. Our volunteers continue to save the defenders of Ukraine,” the organization noted.