Ukrainian prosecutor general signs charges against anti-corruption head before leaving country
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko announced charges against NABU director Semen Kryvonos before departing Ukraine, prompting calls for his removal.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko announced charges against Semen Kryvonos, head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), accusing him of document forgery, unlawful financial gain, and orchestrating a sham adoption to avoid prosecution.
NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) stated that Kryvonos was never formally served with a notice of suspicion, framing the allegations as a political attack against independent institutions. The clash coincides with anti-corruption authorities conducting an operation into an alleged criminal network involving current and former lawmakers, as well as senior officials in the President’s Office.
Following his video statement, Kravchenko reportedly left Ukraine in a government vehicle. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy subsequently requested that parliament quickly remove the prosecutor general from office.
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.
- Oct 2, 2026, 11:30 PM UTC
- 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 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
- 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