Each NABU operation like today’s “energy” operation costs tens of millions of hryvnias
10 November 17:51
Each special operation of the NABU costs tens of millions of hryvnias. This was reported by the ex-deputy chairman of the GBI, Oleksandr Babikov , commenting on the large-scale searches of the Bureau in the energy sector, informs "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to “Glavkom”.
According to Babikov, this is a complex, painstaking work, which requires significant funds from the state. But no matter how much money the fight against corruption costs, something must be done about it,
“How much the state has spent and what is the result of such investigative searches. We are not saying that these individuals should be in custody. A complex issue cannot be measured purely by money. The question is that on the one hand it should influence the level of crime, and on the other hand legal rights and freedoms of a person should not suffer. Because in 1937 they also effectively fought counter-revolution, spies and the like. But too many people suffered for nothing, for no reason,” – said Babikov.
How NABU is financed
The funding of the NABU is growing from year to year.
| Year | Allocated funds / amount of budget funding |
|---|---|
| 2021 | ~ UAH 1.07 bln |
| 2022 | ~ UAH 1.23 bln (15% by 2021) |
| 2023 | ~ UAH 1.26 bln (2.4% by 2022) |
| 2024 | ~ UAH 1.88 bln (49.2% by 2023) |
| 2025 (planned) | ~ 2.18 billion UAH (15.9% by 2024) |
In 2026, according to the draft budget for the financing of NABU2.54 billion hryvnia, which is 370 million more than in 2025.
Also, the bureau receives technical assistance from international partners, in particular:
- European Union (EUACI – EU Anti-Corruption Initiative in Ukraine)
- U.S. Embassy in Ukraine (through USAID, DOJ, FBI)
- UNDP (United Nations Development Program)
This assistance is not funding of NABU activities, it is about logistical support , in particular equipment, training for detectives, analytical tools or consulting assistance in investigations.
NABU’s main partners include: German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) – United Nations Development Program (UNDP), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) / Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), etc.
Cost-benefit ratio
Assessments of the NABU’s performance (in terms of funds spent on its activities) vary widely. Some note that the Bureau is effective, while others contrast the figures of budget expenditures with the money returned to the state treasury.
“Over the 10 years of the Bureau’s existence, the state has spent more than UAH 10 billion on it. Whereas the total amount of recoveries under court decisions on cases that NABU conducted in 2015-2025, is /-800 million UAH. That is, for every 1 hryvnia returned to the country’s budget, the NABU spent … 12 (!) hryvnias! Impressive “efficiency”,” political expert Oleh Posternak once pointed out .
