Ukraine's prosecutor general targets anti-corruption chief before leaving country
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko charged NABU chief Semen Kryvonos before reportedly leaving the country, prompting President Zelenskyy to call for Kravchenko's dismissal.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko announced criminal charges against Semen Kryvonos, director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), accusing him of forging documents for illicit gain and arranging a sham adoption to evade legal prosecution.
In a joint statement, NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office denied that Kryvonos was officially served a notice of suspicion, characterizing the announcement as a political attack. The dispute comes as NABU conducts a broader investigation into alleged criminal activity involving current and former lawmakers along with officials from the President's Office.
Following his statement, Kravchenko reportedly left Ukraine in an official vehicle. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy subsequently requested that parliament rapidly vote to dismiss the prosecutor general from his position.
Sources: NEXTA, OCCRP, Радіо Свобода, The Insider, Українська правда
How outlets assessed this
- OCCRP Critical Framed Kravchenko as a scandal-plagued outgoing official targeting anti-corruption leadership to evade scrutiny.
- OCCRP Critical Framed Kravchenko's actions as an attack by a scandal-ridden outgoing official targeting independent anti-corruption leadership.
- Українська правда Neutral Focused directly on NABU's denial of receiving suspicion notices and its characterization of the accusations as political pressure.
Sources
- NEXTA — Антикоррупционные органы Украины расследуют группу с участием чиновников из Офиса президента
- Радіо Свобода — Генпрокурор Кравченко звинуватив директора НАБУ в підробленні документів та інших злочинах
- Українська правда — У НАБУ відреагували на заяву Кравченка про підозру директору бюро
- The Insider — Генпрокурор Украины Кравченко подписал подозрение директору НАБУ и уехал за границу. Зеленский призвал Раду скорее отстранить генпрокурора
- OCCRP — Under Cloud of Scandal, Outgoing Ukrainian Prosecutor General Targets Anti-Corruption Chief
Earlier coverage
- Oct 16, 2026, 10:00 AM UTCUkrainian president seeks removal of prosecutor general after charges against anti-corruption chief
- Oct 7, 2026, 05:30 PM UTCUkraine prosecutor general targets anti-corruption chief before leaving country
- Oct 4, 2026, 11:00 PM UTCUkraine's prosecutor general targets anti-corruption chief before departure
- Oct 3, 2026, 11:30 PM UTCUkrainian prosecutor general charges anti-corruption chief before leaving country
- Oct 2, 2026, 11:30 PM UTCUkrainian prosecutor general signs charges against anti-corruption head before leaving country
- Sep 30, 2026, 11:30 PM UTCUkrainian prosecutor general targets anti-corruption chief before leaving country
- Sep 24, 2026, 11:00 PM UTCUkraine's anti-corruption agency rejects charges against director
- Sep 23, 2026, 11:00 PM UTCUkraine's prosecutor general accuses anti-corruption chief of fraud before leaving country
- Sep 17, 2026, 02:00 PM UTCUkraine's prosecutor general signs suspicion notice against anti-corruption chief
- Sep 16, 2026, 10:30 PM UTCUkrainian authorities uncover draft evasion schemes and thwart Russian plots