Ukrainian Domestic — 2026-09-15

Outgoing Ukrainian Prosecutor General Targets Anti-Corruption Chief Amid Own Criminal Probe

BLUFKravchenko's parting charges against NABU's director are unlikely to force Kryvonos from his post within 30 days, but they expose unresolved questions about whether Zelensky's office tacitly enabled the assault on anti-corruption independence.

Outgoing Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko signed a notice of suspicion against NABU Director Semen Kryvonos on September 14, alleging document forgery for financial gain and a sham adoption to evade a 2007 bribery prosecution 12. Kravchenko also issued a notice against an unnamed associate of SAPO chief Oleksandr Klymenko, alleging bribery of a High Anti-Corruption Court judge and help evading mobilization 13. NABU and SAPO said Kryvonos had not been formally served and denied seizing case files during Operation Carthage searches of Kravchenko's office, calling the charges a "systematic attack" on their independence 4. Kravchenko left Ukraine by car overnight, officially for a Paris conference; organizers told the Kyiv Independent they had not expected him to attend 35. President Volodymyr Zelensky suspended Kravchenko by decree and asked parliament to confirm his dismissal, with a vote set for September 15 36.

Analysis
NABU's independence now hinges on whether Kravchenko acted alone or with tacit backing from Zelensky's office, and parliament's September 15 confirmation vote will not resolve that question even if it removes him from post. Kryvonos's removal within 30 days is unlikely, since courts must first validate charges he has not been formally served, and NABU's institutional resistance in July 2025 shows the bureau can outlast political pressure. This judgment is held with moderate confidence given consistent reporting across independent Ukrainian and international outlets on the sequence of events but genuine uncertainty about Zelensky's role in authorizing the charges. The charges may instead reflect a coordinated executive effort to subordinate anti-corruption bodies rather than one official's unilateral bid for self-preservation, a distinction that will determine whether Western donors conditioning aid and visa-liberalization support on NABU/SAPO independence escalate pressure on Kyiv if Kryvonos is removed, or treat the episode as contained if he retains his post.

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