The National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) has presented a new manual “Heroes Nearby: A Guide for Whistleblowers of Corruption.” Designed in the format of a comic book, it explains in a simple and accessible way who can be a whistleblower, what constitutes corruption, corruption-related offenses and other violations of the Law of Ukraine “On Prevention of Corruption,” how to properly collect evidence, prepare a report, and submit it. Special attention is paid to mechanisms for protecting whistleblowers, ensuring safety guarantees, and providing legal support.
The publication also includes real success stories of whistleblowers who, for the first time in Ukraine’s history, received rewards in 2024 totaling about UAH 15 million.
“Corruption is not something abstract. These are real stories that steal the country’s future: bribes for positions, ‘ghost employees’ on payrolls, fictitious procurements. Our guide is a practical tool for everyone who is not willing to tolerate corruption,” said Anastasiia Renkas, Head of the Whistleblowing Development Division at NACP, during the presentation.
She emphasized that the choice of comic format was intentional, as it provides information in a visual and therefore maximally accessible way — taking into account the still low level of awareness about whistleblowing. According to the sociological survey “Corruption in Ukraine 2024: Understanding, Perception, Prevalence,” only 16.8% of Ukrainians are sufficiently aware of whistleblowers’ rights and protection guarantees. This highlights the need for clear and accessible information tools.
At the same time, sociological data show significant changes in the perception of corruption as an unacceptable practice of interaction between the state and citizens, as well as steady progress in building a whistleblowing culture. In 2024, 57.9% of the population and 58.8% of businesses expressed negative attitudes toward corrupt behavior. In 2017, intolerance of corruption was characteristic of only a minority (43.3%). Support for whistleblowers in 2024 reached a record high — 74.3% among the population and 85.8% in the business community. The number of those who personally reported corruption also increased: in 2024, 9.7% of citizens and 17.2% of business representatives did so. For comparison, in 2023 these figures stood at 14% and 6.5% respectively, while in 2020 only 3.3% of the population had reported corruption.
This positive shift is also reflected in practical results: since the launch of the Unified Whistleblower Reporting Portal, nearly 6,800 reports have been submitted, and whistleblower status has been confirmed for 132 individuals.
Ukraine’s progress in the area of whistleblower protection has also been recognized internationally: the country scored over 90 out of 100 points in the comprehensive anti-corruption policy assessment carried out under the 5th Round of Monitoring of the Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan of the OECD Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
The guide is already available online on the official NACP website. A printed edition is planned in the near future. The Agency calls on the media, civil society organizations, and professional communities to help disseminate the manual and foster an environment where being a whistleblower is the norm, not a challenge.
