Ukrainian Domestic — 2026-09-16

Ukraine Prosecutor General Kravchenko Counterattacks Anti-Corruption Chiefs With Criminal Allegations Amid NABU Investigation

BLUFKravchenko's retaliatory notices against NABU and SAPO leaders will very likely be rendered moot by his Rada dismissal by September 30, shifting the real test to whether his successor preserves anti-corruption institutional independence.

Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said on September 14 that he had signed notices of suspicion against NABU director Semen Kryvonos, alleging forged documents and a fictitious adoption to evade liability, and against an unnamed associate of SAPO head Oleksandr Klymenko, identified in other reporting as Klymenko's wife, alleging bribery and judicial interference 12. Kryvonos said he had not been served the notice and called the case fabricated 2. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suspended Kravchenko by decree hours later, citing martial-law authority and giving no stated reason, and the Rada's law enforcement committee backed a dismissal submission the same afternoon ahead of a September 15 floor vote 1. NABU and SAPO rejected Kravchenko's allegations, denied removing case files tied to their personnel, and characterized his notices as a "systemic attack" on the agencies rather than a procedural filing 1. The dispute follows Operation Carthage, the NABU-SAPO investigation that led to the custody of Kravchenko's deputy Serhii Kropyva on a bribery and money-laundering probe touching the Prosecutor General's Office 12.

Analysis
The Rada will very likely vote to formally dismiss Kravchenko by September 30, given the law enforcement committee's same-day endorsement and Zelenskyy's public push for immediate floor action, though this leaves unresolved whether courts sustain the suspicion notices against Kryvonos and Klymenko's associate, keeping the underlying corruption fight alive. Moderate confidence reflects consistent reporting across independent outlets on the suspension's mechanics, anchored by a single primary sourcing point, offset by the absence of public evidence for Kravchenko's claims against Zelenskyy and NABU leadership. The notices could equally reflect genuine investigative findings predating Operation Carthage rather than retaliatory fabrication. Kravchenko moved from merely threatening anti-corruption leadership to filing formal suspicion notices, prompting Zelenskyy's decree hours later. A completed dismissal strips Kravchenko of authority to press these notices and opens a competitive successor selection that EU accession monitors will read as the more consequential signal of whether Ukraine's anti-corruption independence guarantees hold. A failed or delayed vote would signal continued tolerance of pressure on NABU and SAPO.

3 sources