On August 20, 2025, the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) presented the guide “Heroes Among Us: A Whistleblower’s Guide.” Designed in a comic format, the guide provides clear explanations on how to report corruption and what rights and safety guarantees whistleblowers receive. It also includes stories of individuals who, in 2024, became the first in Ukraine to receive a monetary reward for exposing corruption — in total, UAH 15 million was paid out.
A person can qualify as a whistleblower by reporting corruption related to their job, service, studies, or other professional or community activities. Simply being an activist or knowing about corruption “from the outside” is not enough, the guide notes.
Reports can be submitted through the Unified Whistleblower Reporting Portal, to anti-corruption bodies such as NABU or NACP, or via journalists and activists. Reports may be made anonymously or under one’s name, as the state guarantees personal data protection.
By law, whistleblowers are entitled to confidentiality and safety, legal and psychological assistance, monetary rewards amounting to 10% of the bribe or damages, compensation for unlawful dismissal, and other protections.
“Corruption is not something abstract. It’s real stories that steal the country’s future — bribes for positions, ‘ghost employees,’ fake procurement deals. Our guide is a practical tool for everyone who refuses to tolerate corruption,” said Anastasiia Renkas, Head of the Whistleblower Institute Development Department at NACP.
According to a study on corruption in Ukraine, as of 2024, only 17% of Ukrainians were properly informed about whistleblower rights. That’s why the comic format was chosen for the guide — it helps present the information in a clear and accessible way, Renkas explained. During the presentation, NACP also shared results from the Unified Whistleblower Reporting Portal, launched in September 2023. Since then, 6,800 reports of corruption have been submitted, and 137 individuals have been granted whistleblower status.
