Photo: RBC
Ukraine’s Western partners expect Kyiv to preserve the independence of its key anti-corruption institutions as a condition for continued international support, Reuters reports.
The escalating conflict between the Office of the Prosecutor General and independent anti-corruption bodies is raising concerns about Ukraine’s international reputation and could complicate reforms tied to tens of billions of dollars in external funding.
The reforms are also critical to Ukraine’s negotiations on joining the European Union.
“None of this is normal, and it is causing enormous damage to Ukraine’s image in the world,” said Presidential Office chief Kyrylo Budanov.
Conflict escalates
The latest escalation followed Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko’s resignation last week after an anti-corruption investigation reached his agency.
Kravchenko was not accused of a crime himself, but one of his subordinates was accused of involvement in an alleged scheme linked to the protection of fraudulent call centers.
On Monday, Kravchenko said he had signed a notice of suspicion against NABU Director Semen Kryvonos, accusing him of allegedly falsifying official documents to obtain an especially large unlawful benefit. He also alleged that Kryvonos had used a fictitious adoption to avoid legal consequences.
NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) rejected the allegations, calling them another stage of a “systematic attack on independent anti-corruption bodies.” They said Kryvonos had not officially been notified of suspicion.
The Office of the Prosecutor General subsequently also denied that Kryvonos had been formally served with a notice of suspicion, saying the procedural requirements had not been met and that there were no legal grounds for such a decision.
Anti-corruption system under pressure
NABU and SAPO had previously accused one of Kravchenko’s subordinates of accepting bribes in exchange for helping shield fraudulent call centers that targeted Ukrainian and foreign citizens.
Kravchenko also said he had signed a second notice of suspicion concerning an unnamed person close to the head of SAPO. He claimed anti-corruption agencies had initiated investigations against his office in an attempt to gain access to cases involving NABU and SAPO officials and force him out of office.
SAPO head Oleksandr Klymenko has argued that the attacks on NABU and SAPO involved more people than the prosecutor general. He identified former deputy chief military prosecutor Dmytro Borzykh as one of the alleged architects of what he described as unconventional attacks on Ukraine’s anti-corruption system.
Kryvonos has also alleged that some SBU employees were involved in actions against NABU.
Kravchenko’s resignation
The Verkhovna Rada is expected to consider Kravchenko’s dismissal after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted the relevant motion to parliament.
Zelenskyy has said he sees only one possible outcome — Kravchenko’s dismissal.
The dispute has taken on international significance because the independence and effectiveness of Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions are closely linked to Western financial support and the country’s broader path toward EU membership.
