"We-Ukraine" : How the President’s Office Brazenly Plunders Billions During Wartime

In October 2022, as Ukraine fought for its survival amid a full-scale war, a new TV channel, “We-Ukraine,” emerged out of nowhere. Like a ghost, it appeared on the horizon and, within a couple of years, morphed into a monstrous entity gorging on public funds. Hundreds of millions of hryvnias from our pockets have already been funneled into this project, with the total nearing a billion. All this while the Ukrainian Armed Forces beg for every bullet, and the government shamelessly claims “there’s no money.” So, what is “We-Ukraine”? The answer is simple and dirty: it’s a media empire built by the President’s Office, fueled by our taxes, audacity, and utter indifference to the war.

"We-Ukraine" : How the President’s Office Brazenly Plunders Billions During Wartime
 “We-Ukraine” : How the President’s Office Brazenly Plunders Billions During Wartime

“We-Ukraine” hit the airwaves in the fall of 2022, at the height of the war. On the surface, it looked like a group of enthusiastic journalists decided to “support the information front.” But don’t buy the fairy tale. The channel instantly secured a slot in the “United Marathon”—a state-run TV project meant to be a voice of truth, not a feeding trough for insiders. In just two years, “We-Ukraine” ballooned into an empire that spans not only the channel but also radio stations—all funded by our money. People’s Deputy Yaroslav Zhelezniak calls it not just a media project but a full-blown scam orchestrated by the President’s Office. And he’s got the evidence to back it up.

"Ми-Україна": How the President’s Office Brazenly Plunders Billions During Wartime
“Ми-Україна”: How the President’s Office Brazenly Plunders Billions During Wartime

“This isn’t a story about launching a channel. It’s a story about brazenly building a media empire with hundreds of millions from the budget, propped up by state companies and tender ‘winners,’ and even using assets seized from ‘traitors,’” Zhelezniak writes on his Facebook page. He adds: “You and I paid for it. And soon, we’ll pay even more.”

"Ми-Україна": How the President’s Office Brazenly Plunders Billions During Wartime
“Ми-Україна”: How the President’s Office Brazenly Plunders Billions During Wartime

Since the war began, nearly a billion hryvnias have been siphoned from the state budget into “We-Ukraine” and its related projects. Picture this: while soldiers die on the frontlines due to a lack of equipment, the President’s Office casually pours hundreds of millions into its media business. The latest proof comes from the Prozorro system: on March 13, 2025, contracts worth 800 million hryvnias were signed for the “United Marathon,” plus another 184 million specifically for “We-Ukraine.” Add that to the 400 million already reported in investigations, and you get 584 million for just one channel! And that’s not the end of it.

Now, let’s dig into the jaw-dropping details. An hour of airtime on “Inter” costs 94,000 hryvnias, on “STB” it’s 114,000, and even “1+1” charges 130,000. But guess how much “Yermak’s Team” (as Zhelezniak dubs the masterminds behind “We-Ukraine”) charges per hour? 163,000! “Must be expensive equipment,” Zhelezniak quips sarcastically. But there’s no room for jokes here. Combined with spending on the “Rada” channel (another project tied to the government via the “Kinokit” firm), the total exceeds a billion hryvnias since the war started. This, while the country scrambles for funds to buy drones or body armor.

You don’t need to be a genius to figure it out: “We-Ukraine” isn’t about journalism—it’s about power. Zhelezniak’s investigation uncovers direct links between the channel and the President’s Office. Funding comes partly from state-owned companies, which, he says, receive “instructions” from above. The scheme also involves tender winners who “voluntarily” chip in, and even assets confiscated from “traitors” that somehow ended up in the hands of this media machine. “We found both ties to the President’s Office and funding sources directed by ‘orders,’” Zhelezniak asserts.

But the real gall is the cynicism. “They don’t give a damn that the country’s at war—they’re reaping their ‘harvest,’” Zhelezniak fumes. He predicts that soon, another few hundred million will be siphoned off for this “business”—a tool that will serve the President’s Office before, during, and after elections. And guess who’s footing the bill? We are.

The evidence is right there in Prozorro, Ukraine’s public procurement system. Zhelezniak recounts how he logged in one evening (“It’s a hobby of mine,” he says) and nearly fell off his chair: the very day investigations into “We-Ukraine” were published, the government signed new contracts. 800 million hryvnias for the “Marathon,” 184 million for “We-Ukraine”—all prepaid for 2025, sealed on March 13. “Contracts signed just yesterday!” he exclaims in outrage.

These numbers aren’t just figures—they’re a slap in the face to every Ukrainian who donates to the army while the government squanders billions on its whims. And all this for a channel that produces neither hard-hitting investigations nor high ratings—just the obedient voice of Bankova Street.

“We-Ukraine” isn’t just a channel—it’s a symbol of impunity and arrogance. “With our government, it’s a never-ending series—in every sense,” Zhelezniak concludes. And indeed, while some die on the frontlines, others build a media empire with our money. While Ukraine begs the West for aid, the President’s Office throws itself a billion-hryvnia “harvest.” Worst of all, there’s no sign it will stop.

“We-Ukraine” isn’t about “we”—it’s about “them.” It’s about those who spit on the war, the people, and the country’s future, draining the budget dry. Billions that could have gone to weapons or medicine are lining the pockets of the connected few. And as long as we stay silent, this series will roll on. The only question is: do we have the guts to stop this scam? If not, the next bill is on us—again.