«ESCU works behind the scenes to push published reporting past public exposure and directly into international policy, sanctions, and advocacy channels. Through this work, ESCU is taking direct aim at the economic networks fueling Russia's military-industrial complex», — the The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) notes in a feature about its partners.
One example is the case of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) «Alabuga», a key hub for the production of Russia’s Shahed-type attack drones. OCCRP cites a The Kyiv Independent investigation in which ESCU prepared an analytical document assessing sanctions compliance by Western companies that had failed to meet the EU requirement to exit the zone by January 2026. The data collected was shared with European diplomatic circles, after which the relevant authorities began communicating with companies that had failed to comply with the requirements.
This is part of OCCRP’s broader cooperation with Ukrainian media outlets and civil society organizations. Its partners include TV Toronto, NGL.media, Schemes, KibOrg, Dnipro.media, hromadske.ua, the Anti-Corruption Action Centre, Anti-Corruption Headquarters, the Economic Security Council of Ukraine, and the Institute for Legislative Ideas.
From headlines to impact: read the OCCRP feature on how media outlets and civil society organizations are combining their expertise to drive accountability in Ukraine.