An arrest has been made in Austria involving a Ukrainian man who recently returned from the United States. He is suspected of embezzling millions of euros from funds collected to aid Ukrainians.

The ERR, Estonia’s public broadcasting service, has reported a significant development in an international Ukrainian donation scandal: Hennadiy Vaskiv, a Ukrainian businessman, was arrested in Austria at the end of March. The case has received little attention in Estonia so far.

Vaskiv is at the center of the controversy surrounding the Slava Ukraini non-governmental organization, which has raised over €6.5 million for Ukraine since 2022. Serious doubts have since emerged regarding the misuse of some of these funds, with millions of euros allegedly misappropriated or simply embezzled.

According to media reports, approximately €1.5 million flowed to a private company linked to Vaskiv, which reportedly made significant profits from the aid payments.

ERR, citing information from Ilmar Raag, the liquidator of the NGO, and Ukrainian court documents, reported that an investigation is underway against Vaskiv for economic crimes and money laundering, as noted by the Austrian publication Exxpress. The report revealed that Vaskiv was arrested in Austria at the end of March after entering the country from the United States, where he had previously fled to avoid prosecution.

According to Raag, the raid was carried out by Interpol, and Vaskiv is currently awaiting extradition to Ukraine. The circumstances surrounding his return also raise questions: Raag suggested that a sting operation conducted by Ukrainian investigators may have played a role.

Political Earthquake in Estonia

The incident has already caused a political earthquake in Estonia in 2023. The NGO was founded by Johanna-Maria Lehtme, a former Estonian parliamentary representative, who has since become a target of the investigation, with her current whereabouts unknown.

Lehtme quickly gained significant recognition following the Russian attack on Ukraine: she was named „Person of the Year” and elected to parliament—before the scandal erupted and she resigned.

The case holds further significance due to the identity of the whistleblower: Oleksandr Chernov, who exposed the scandal, was convicted of arms trafficking at the end of 2025—though he received only a suspended prison sentence. Observers view this as potential retaliation for his revelations.

Ultimately, the scandal led to the dissolution of the Slava Ukraini NGO. The organization has been disbanded, its reputation severely tarnished, and civil lawsuits are currently underway against Vaskiv and Lehtme.

They are being sued for a total of approximately €750,000 in damages. Austrian authorities have yet to officially confirm the arrest reported by ERR.

Slava Ukraini… remember that one?

The big “help Ukraine” NGO that raised over €6.5 million.

Well, key figure Hennadi Vaskiv — partner of founder Johanna-Maria Lehtme — just got arrested in Austria.

Accused of embezzling up to €1.5 million in donations meant for Ukrainian… pic.twitter.com/G3TzNJGLGn

— Russian Market (@runews) April 18, 2026