What’s happening
Law enforcement is conducting large-scale searches in medical facilities across Ukraine: investigative actions are taking place in at least 70 institutions, the National Police reported. The investigation is focused on schemes involving the provision of fictitious medical services and manipulations in the electronic health-care system.
"Investigative actions are taking place in at least 70 institutions"
— National Police
Who is conducting the investigation
The operation is led by the Main Investigation Department of the National Police with support from operatives of the Department of Strategic Investigations, with the participation of the prosecutor’s office and with assistance from the Ministry of Health and the National Health Service of Ukraine. A pre-trial investigation has been opened under a number of articles of the Criminal Code: embezzlement of property, abuse of official position, forgery of documents, and laundering of illicit proceeds. Under certain articles, penalties provide for up to 12 years’ imprisonment with confiscation of property.
Why this matters to you
This concerns funds that were meant to go toward patients’ treatment under the Medical Guarantees program. Preliminary estimates by investigators indicate losses that could reach hundreds of millions of hryvnias. This affects the budget, the accessibility and quality of services, and undermines trust in the health-care system — that is, in the services used daily by millions of Ukrainians.
"26% of Ukrainians have faced demands for bribes in healthcare"
— KMIS, quoted by LIGA.net
Context and risks
This case is not an isolated incident: in 2025 law enforcement already carried out searches in Kyiv medical institutions and uncovered schemes for embezzling funds allocated to help seriously ill patients. Analysts and civic organizations have long pointed to the vulnerability of electronic registers and weak internal controls in some institutions. Without systemic changes, the risk of these schemes recurring will remain, even if individual suspects are arrested.
What’s next
The next steps are the results of investigative actions, court decisions, and independent audits of expenditures under the Medical Guarantees program. Restoring trust requires not only criminal proceedings but also the swift strengthening of oversight by the NHSU (National Health Service of Ukraine), transparent public procurement procedures, and protection of information databases from manipulation.
This operation is a test of the state’s ability to protect patients’ funds. If the investigation is completed effectively and accompanied by control reforms, it will provide a foundation for restoring trust; otherwise, tougher systemic measures will have to be taken. Is there enough political will and resources for that?
"The investigation should be a signal: medical money is not an address for enrichment, but a resource for treating people"
— health expert (comment generalized)
