Some are collecting support for Ukraine, others are counting their salaries: they have even taken a vacation in the USA

Even a vacation in the USA got stuck

“Whoever donates to Blue/Yellow probably thinks that the money goes to Ukraine. Yes, it does, but only a certain part.

Because the other part goes to the salaries of poorly paid workers and travel, for example, to America.

There are probably not many who believe that Žukauskas’ salary is like the “Blue/Yellow” average”, – on Saturday in his account on the social network Facebook wrote Associate Professor of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences dr. Rimas Jankūnas.

Screenshot from Facebook/Facebook shares misleading information about the salaries of employees of an organization that collects support for Ukraine

He shared “Sodra” data on the salaries of “Blue and Yellow” (the official name of this public institution) in the last months of last year.

In December, they earned an average of €3,238.67 (before tax) – 4.7 percent. (144.47 euros) more than in November (3,094.20 euros). But that month it was slightly lower than in October (3,113.28 euros).

In front of this information, R.Jankūnas added a photo of Blue/Yellow communication manager Karolis Žukauskas from his recent trip to the USA and a screenshot of the recording with impressions.

K. Žukauskas about the beginning of the trip told in this February 10 post. The shot of him filling the car with fuel is taken from of this video.

“Roadtripas (literally in English – a road trip) in America with a cow in a nutshell (English briefly)”, the traveler wrote to him, this comment can also be seen in the screenshot shared by R. Jankūnas.

It is clear that the stay in the USA was recreational, the records do not mention that K. Žukauskas went as a representative of Blue/Yellow.

For the portal 15min he confirmed that the trip was a vacation planned back in October.

The money will be enough for 1,115 safe warrior sets

K. Žukauskas himself was quick to react to this comment about Blue/Yellow’s finances. His by guesssuch a record was born out of the growing donations of Radarom!

Screenshot Karolis Žukauskas, head of communication from Facebook/Blue:Yellow, traveled to the USA on vacation, not as a representative of the organization

“I will continue to travel a lot and often because I work and earn money. And those to whom you are writing have never allocated a single euro to Ukraine”, said K. Žukauskas in an emotional reply addressed to the head of the so-called Health Law Institute.

R. Jankūnas’s reasoning appeared on the Internet right before the final “Radarom!” concert on Saturday, commemorating the second anniversary of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine.

in 2022 February 24 the offensive that began brought huge losses to Ukraine, and Moscow received unprecedented condemnation from the West and sanctions.

As the second anniversary of the war approaches, Blue/Yellow and like-minded people have launched a fundraiser called Radarom!. It was almost a month collected more than 8.2 million euros, for which it is promised to buy 1,115 safe warrior sets.

Approximately 7.5 thousand The set, worth EUR, includes a night vision monocular, a laser sight and an individual “anti-drone”. This equipment, designed to protect Ukrainian soldiers, is manufactured in Lithuania by the companies “Brolis Semiconductors” and “NT Service”.

The number of employees has even decreased

The above average salary for Blue/Yellow employees is before tax. On the website tax.lt you can calculate how much they get “in their hands” after paying 20 percent. income and health, social insurance and pension taxes, – an average of 1,959.4 euros.

Almost 60 euros (1.77%) for each employee is transferred to Sodra by the employer. So one employee costs this public institution 3,296 euros per month. And all of them – only 13,184 euros, because there are only four of them officially.

Blue/Yellow can be seen on the Props page change in the number of employees from 2019 the end of June. Initially, he worked in a public institution on 1, 2022. at the beginning of March – 2, at the end – 3 persons. In September of that year, the team grew to 8 employees and for the next eight months it consisted of 7-9 people.

At the end of May last year, they decreased to 5, from last September only 4 employees (insured) remained at Blue/Yellow.

Screenshot from Facebook/Average salary of Blue:Yellow employees after taxes tax.lt

in 2014 The non-governmental organization Blue/Yellow, founded in 2011, provides Ukrainian soldiers and volunteers with the necessary supplies to help fight against Russian aggression. Donated money is used to buy drones, helmets, optics, vehicles, and other tactical equipment.

15min verdict: partly a lie. It is true that one Blue/Yellow employee earns an average of 3,238.67 euros, but this is the amount before taxes, which after paying is less than 2 thousand. euros. The organization has only four employees, so in total their salaries with all taxes require just over 13 thousand. euros.

The publication was prepared in 15 minutes in partnership with Metait aims to stop the spread of misleading news on the social network. More about the program and its rules – here.