The State Audit Service wins a court case against activist Dana Yarova
12 June 20:14
The Kyiv Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the Pecherskyi District Court in the case of the State Audit Service of Ukraine against activist Bohdana (Dana) Yarova. The court confirmed that the information she had disseminated about the activities of the State Audit Service was unreliable and damaged the business reputation of the state body, and ordered Yarova to publicly refute it, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
The lawsuit concerned a number of statements made by Yarovaya on social media that created a distorted view of the activities of the central executive body that implements policy in the field of state financial control. The statements about the work of the audit service in the defense industry were particularly resonant.
The court documents state that the information disseminated by the blogger was not just critical, but also false and manipulative. Her posts caused a wide public outcry and created public distrust of the state body, which, according to representatives of the State Audit Service, works under a high workload to ensure financial stability and efficient use of budget funds.
The State Audit Service emphasized that the court’s decision was a matter of honor for the institution.
The agency has defended its reputation in court, showing an example of how government agencies can protect themselves from media attacks and fake information campaigns, the SAS said.
The agency also emphasized that it was thanks to their activities that numerous violations in defense procurement were detected, and in some cases, together with law enforcement agencies, they saved the state from multimillion-dollar losses. Thus, in 2024, the auditors found violations worth more than UAH 4.3 billion, of which almost UAH 1 billion was reimbursed due to further actions of law enforcement.
The State Audit Service positions itself as a transparent and open to the public body that adheres to European standards of publicity and reporting. In its official statement after the court decision, the agency assured that it will continue to defend the financial interests of the state and counter any attempts to discredit it through manipulative media campaigns.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time the service has defended its reputation in court. on May 20, 2025, the State Audit Service won a similar case against former Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Serhiy Kryvonos, who was also ordered to refute false allegations. This trend could be a signal to other government agencies: to remain silent on public slander means to agree with it.
Read also: The court declared Kryvonos’ information about the State Audit Service false
What you need to know about Dana Yarova
Dana Yarova is a Ukrainian volunteer, blogger and member of the Public Anti-Corruption Council at the Ministry of Defense, known for her active exposure of corruption risks in defense procurement. She was born and raised in Bucha. She holds two degrees in economics: banking law (1995-2000) and public finance (2002-2005) from the University of the State Fiscal Service. She has worked at Prominvestbank and Kontrakt banks, as well as at Ukrsots-Capital, Concord Asset Management, Redix Asset Management, and Target Trade. In 2010-2016, she managed her own children’s clothing business Danaya and the operating companies Veselka Ukrainy and DTrade.
She began her volunteer work in 2014, creating the Mriya Charitable Foundation to support the families of captured and killed soldiers. The foundation works together with paramedic Yulia “Tyra” Payevska, helping children of defenders through scholarships and rehabilitation programs.
In 2023-2024, she became a member of the Public Anti-Corruption Council at the Ministry of Defense. Through her investigations, the public learned about inflated prices for food in the Armed Forces, dubious tenders for uniforms and fuel, and the re-awarding of contracts to companies that had previously failed to meet their terms. She regularly publishes documents and expert opinions, forcing the Defense Ministry to revise contracts and save hundreds of millions of hryvnias.
Yarovaya denies accusations of political lobbying, although some Ukrainian media link her to former MP Serhiy Pashynsky. In 2022, Yarovaya’s public conflict with MP Mariana Bezuhla turned into a broader discussion about the transparency of defense procurement.
Critics criticize her for her harsh style and possible use of unverified data, but supporters remind her that her actions promote financial discipline in the security sector and strengthen public control.
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