The largest Ukrainian orphanage, "Sonechko", evacuated all its wards from Zaporizhzhia to the Lviv region during the first weeks of the Russian invasion. However, most caregivers who were supposed to evacuate with the children stayed in Zaporizhzhia and continued receiving salaries and bonuses for over three more years.
In total, maintaining the orphanage without children cost more than UAH 230 million, of which almost UAH 212 million went to paying caregivers, most of whom were officially on "downtime."
Journalists from NGL.media noticed the Zaporizhzhia orphanage "Sonechko" back in spring this year while working on a story about how Ukrainian orphanages receive millions of hryvnias through child-related manipulations. Attention was drawn to the fact that "Sonechko" had the largest budget among all institutional children's facilities in Ukraine.
Several sources we contacted about what was happening there replied: "You mean 'Sonechko'? Write about it." And we did.
This story is not about unhappy abandoned children, but about greedy officials and social sector employees who were able to leave the children but could not give up their salaries.
Evacuation
At dawn on February 24, 2022, the first explosions were heard in Zaporizhzhia. The Russians first struck the airport near the city, and then residents on the outskirts reported incoming attacks. Evacuation trains began operating from the city, but the orphanage "Sonechko," where children aged from a few months to six years lived, was slow to evacuate its wards. The facility did not have an established shelter, but the management initially hoped to wait it out.
Olga Revchenko, a pediatrician at "Sonechko," recalls that all her colleagues believed the war would end quickly. Only in mid-March did they start evacuating with the children by train to Lviv.
Thus, the doctor with 13 children ended up at the Lviv orphanage "Malvy." "We were gathered here in the same hall where we are now sitting," says Olga Revchenko, looking around the large room of the Children's Health and Rehabilitation Center. "I took a bag and a backpack with me, planning to return to Zaporizhzhia in a few weeks. Almost four years have passed, and I am still here."
Children from the Zaporizhzhia orphanage "Sonechko" at Lviv train station in March 2022 (photo Suspilne)
Olga Revchenko was the only one among the 424 employees of "Sonechko" who relocated and remained with the children. A few other colleagues came to Lviv on a rotational basis to care for the children. Most went on so-called "downtime" and refused to go with the children, while still receiving at least 2/3 of their salary, which counted toward their work experience.
Where the children went
In March 2022, 178 children under six were evacuated from "Sonechko." However, all of them were officially registered at the orphanage, even though they were physically living a thousand kilometers away, mostly in the Lviv region.
"The fact that children were still registered at the Zaporizhzhia facility slowed down their transfer to family-based care. According to the law, potential adopters or those wishing to take children under guardianship had to contact the Child Services of the city where the child was officially registered – in this case, Zaporizhzhia," explains Vasylina Dybaylo, director of the international charity "Partnership 'Every Child'," who assisted potential adopters and even paid several times for the stay of "Sonechko" staff in Lviv hotels.
From 2022 to 2024, 263 children were relocated from Zaporizhzhia to the Lviv region. Of these, 146 children were placed in family-based care.
Children left, employees did not
As mentioned, at the time of the Russian invasion, "Sonechko" employed 424 staff members caring for fewer than two hundred children, due to the need for 24/7 care. After evacuation, these children still required attention, but "Sonechko" staff came extremely irregularly, leaving most of the responsibility to the facilities where the children were relocated.
Liliya Filipska, who has led "Sonechko" since 2019, reluctantly commented on the passivity of staff who effectively abandoned their wards. "Maybe you should talk to the employees who didn't leave, not me?" she said in a phone interview with NGL.media. "Some people wanted downtime and did not want to travel like us 24/7. Would you force your employees to leave their family, father, or mother who needs help?"
Filipska herself, as the official guardian of "Sonechko" children, repeatedly traveled to the Lviv region. She now permanently lives in Zaporizhzhia.
Liliya Filipska, director of the orphanage "Sonechko" (photo MTM channel)
The director insists her staff "provided [evacuated children] help as needed and the children were always cared for."
Some staff did come to Lviv on a rotational basis, at least initially, but the documented numbers differ significantly. For example, according to records from the Zhuravno orphanage, where most Zaporizhzhia children were relocated, 113 "Sonechko" staff arrived in the first year of the war, 66 in the second, 11 in the third, and this year none. In contrast, Zaporizhzhia OVA claims that in 2022, 134 "Sonechko" staff worked in Zhuravno, 117 and 112 in the following two years, and this year 67 remained.
"On average, 35 to 45 'Sonechko' employees were in Zhuravno monthly in the first year. Staff went home on leave, with orders, for example, for one month, and returned after a month or two," explains Olga Buyanova, director of the Zhuravno Supported Living Psycho-neurological Orphanage.
According to data available to NGL.media, nearly 300 "Sonechko" employees remained on downtime from the moment of evacuation in 2022–2025. Former deputy director Oksana Naidyonova said these people did not work but received two-thirds of their salary.
"Should we have fired them? Left them on the street with no salary? We planned to keep working," explains Oksana Naidyonova.
Similar excuses were heard from Viktoriya Klymenko, head of the Zaporizhzhia OVA Health Department. According to her, "Sonechko" staff could not find jobs in Zaporizhzhia after the start of the war, so they were not fired.
"You don't understand what it was like here in 2022–2023. We wanted to retain employees, because where would we find people if the children returned to Zaporizhzhia?" says Klymenko.
Legally, reducing downtime staff was impossible. "If the institution operates and is a legal entity, what grounds exist to cease operations? None."
Salaries and bonuses – almost the entire budget
From 2022 to 2025, the budget of "Sonechko" orphanage totaled UAH 297 million, of which UAH 233 million were spent. Salaries and bonuses accounted for almost UAH 212 million.
Kyrylo Nevdokha, with personal experience in an orphanage, notes that large budgets can be "misused" by collecting workbooks for staff to accumulate work experience, while they effectively do not work.
"Monitoring visits revealed, for example in Ternopil region, more staff officially on the books than at their workplace, with no info on sick leave or vacation. I suspect the 'you give us your workbook, we give you salary' scheme is popular elsewhere. Another variant is issuing a bonus to a person, part of which goes to management," says Nevdokha, head of the Children and Youth Office "DIyMO" under the Ministry of Social Policy.
Interestingly, bonuses were part of "Sonechko" expenses. According to documents available to NGL.media, in September 2024 alone, bonuses exceeded UAH 800k. Eleven staff received extra payment for a special reason – the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.
That month, nearly 100 employees received an allowance. The largest – UAH 31k – went to deputy director Oksana Naidyonova, who also allocated bonuses to most staff.
NGL.media journalists spoke with several former "Sonechko" employees listed in September 2024 documents. Most did not clearly remember when and why extra payment was issued.
Olha Chervonenko worked as a caregiver until spring 2025 and traveled to Zhuravno. According to documents, in September 2024 she received UAH 8,000 bonus. She confirms extra payment for business trips, but "up to five thousand maximum."
Her former colleague, nurse Lyudmyla Streshna, who also accompanied children to Lviv, reportedly did not receive any bonuses. Similarly, Yulia Bratsylo, former cook in Zaporizhzhia, allegedly received an extra UAH 16k that month, which she does not recall.
Who paid for the children’s stay?
"Sonechko" did not use its funds for evacuated children. Annually, UAH 5–10 million were spent on utilities, food, and other expenses in Zaporizhzhia, as the orphanage partially continued operating. New arrivals were sent to safer regions after a few weeks.
Relocated "Sonechko" wards were supported by the institutions to which they were evacuated. The Lviv Regional Council provided info on regional budget expenses for children from "Sonechko" at each facility in Lviv region. From 2022–2025, this totaled nearly UAH 123 million – almost half of what "Sonechko" spent on staff salaries alone.
In addition to the budget, charitable aid was collected. The "Happy Sun" charity fund declares support for children evacuated from Zaporizhzhia.
"We have worked with this orphanage for over ten years. I am a volunteer from Zaporizhzhia, so I decided to help these children. When they were evacuated, I continued fundraising and visiting them," said Yulia Shved from the fund.
Evacuated children playing at the Zhuravno Supported Living Psycho-neurological Orphanage, Lviv region, August 2024 (photo Yulia Shved)
Regarding unmet needs despite the budget for food, diapers, and clothes, Shved said it usually occurs due to emergencies, ongoing tenders, or urgent needs.
"You wouldn’t tell a child 'don’t pee, we have a tender.' Or if there is no money for an AC or a broken bed or wardrobe. That’s why sponsors exist. Like in a large family, things break or burn – normal stuff," she said.
Olga Buyanova confirmed regular help from "Happy Sun." But she could not explain why the orphanage's budget did not cover such needs. "I am not ready to speak on this, contact Zaporizhzhia OVA, I don't know why," she said.
The end of "Sonechko"
At the end of December 2024, Zaporizhzhia OVA announced the closure of "Sonechko." Some functions were transferred to the Zaporizhzhia Regional Children's Clinical Hospital. Officially, the orphanage closed in June 2025.
"Children grew up and could no longer stay in the orphanage. We had to transfer them to boarding schools. After distributing the children, we merged the orphanage with the children's hospital and opened a social support department. Again, children from this department will move further," said Victoria Klymenko, head of the Health Department of Zaporizhzhia OVA.
Labor lawyer Vitaliy Dudin notes Ukrainian law does not limit downtime duration. "But broader interests should be considered. Prolonged downtime consumes huge budget funds," he says.
Could "Sonechko" employees have been offered alternative work? Dudin says law allows it: "The administration could relocate operations or reduce staff. Labor Code permits temporary reassignment during downtime."
The Health Department claims there were no options to place "Sonechko" staff elsewhere, primarily because no one wanted to relocate.
Alternative options? If fired, employees could apply for unemployment benefits, typically receiving 50–80% of their salary for six months, up to two years for pre-retirement age.
Despite efforts to retain staff, former employees interviewed by journalists did not receive job offers at the new hospital department or elsewhere in Zaporizhzhia. Some are retired, some found new careers. The former orphanage director prefers not to discuss the special institution anymore.
"Let's agree, we are no longer the 'Sonechko' orphanage, we don't exist anymore, don't call me," said Liliya Filipska, former orphanage head.
P.S. Two days after this investigation, the Office of the Prosecutor General announced an official investigation into abuses at "Sonechko."
