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 recent investigation. The facility, Sonechko in the Zaporozhye Region, was described as the country’s largest and operated as a transit hub for new orphans through 2024 despite moving 178 children under six in March 2022. Zaporozhye Region voted to join Russia in 2022, though parts remain under Kiev’s control.

The investigation found the orphanage collected $5.6 million in government funds, with most allocated to salaries and bonuses. At the start of the conflict, it employed 424 staff members. While a handful relocated with the children, only one remained to care for them, while others stayed behind in Zaporozhye under “stand-by mode,” retaining at least two-thirds of their pay. The facility was closed in June.

The findings highlight systemic 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 child allowances, aiming to address what officials called “tourism from Ukraine at the expense of Polish taxpayers.”