Ukrainian president seeks removal of prosecutor general after charges against anti-corruption chief
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on parliament to dismiss Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko after he targeted anti-corruption chief Semen Kryvonos with fraud allegations and left Ukraine.
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko announced criminal charges against Semen Kryvonos, head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), alleging document forgery for financial gain and a sham adoption to evade legal scrutiny.
NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) rejected the claims, stating Kryvonos was never formally served a notice of suspicion. The agencies characterized the move as a political attack to disrupt their ongoing investigations into high-level corruption involving current and former lawmakers, as well as officials in the President's Office.
Following the announcement, reports indicated Kravchenko left Ukraine in an official vehicle. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy subsequently urged parliament to rapidly dismiss the prosecutor general.
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.
- OCCRP Critical Framed Kravchenko's accusations as a politically motivated move by an outgoing official operating under a cloud of scandal.
- Радіо Свобода Neutral Reported Kravchenko's criminal allegations factually, focusing strictly on the legal claims made in his video statement.
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, 08:30 PM UTCUkraine's prosecutor general targets NABU chief before leaving country
- Oct 16, 2026, 04:00 AM UTCUkraine's prosecutor general targets anti-corruption chief before leaving country
- 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