Ukraine Corruption Scandal: Prosecutor General Ousted Amid Infighting and NABU Probe

Parliamentary Vote Scheduled Following Dismissal Request

President Volodymyr Zelensky formally requested that parliamentary leaders accept the resignation of 36-year-old Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, according to statements from parliamentary leadership. Parliamentary Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk confirmed receiving the removal request, with lawmakers scheduled to hold a formal vote on Tuesday. “There is only one issue for this prosecutor general: his dismissal. That is what I told him,” Zelensky wrote in a public message shared on the Telegram application.

Kravchenko tendered his resignation the previous week after anti-corruption bodies opened an investigation into operations within his office. While federal authorities have not formally charged or implicated Kravchenko himself, investigators allege that one of his deputies headed a large-scale fraud operation.

Anti-Corruption Agencies and Counter-Allegations

Following political pressure from the presidential administration, Kravchenko launched a counter-offensive on Monday, announcing that he signed a formal “notice of suspicion” targeting Semen Kryvonos, the head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU). Kravchenko alleged that Kryvonos falsified official documents to secure unlawful advantages on an exceptionally large scale and manipulated adoption proceedings to evade legal accountability in court. Additionally, Kravchenko stated he signed a second notice of suspicion directed at an unidentified individual close to the leadership of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).

In a joint response, NABU and SAPO officials rejected the allegations, characterizing Kravchenko’s declarations as an escalation of systematic attacks against independent anti-corruption institutions. Representatives for both agencies noted that Kryvonos faces no formal charges. Federal investigators previously alleged that Kravchenko’s deputy accepted bribes to protect illicit call centers that defrauded citizens both within Ukraine and abroad.

Departure for France Amid Ongoing Investigations

While awaiting the parliamentary vote on his removal, Kravchenko left the country. In a video statement published on Telegram on Monday, Kravchenko announced he was traveling abroad on an official mission to present the real situation surrounding Ukraine’s anti-corruption framework. According to reporting by the online news outlet Ukrainska Pravda, Kravchenko departed Ukraine at 2:30 a.m. in an official vehicle. A presidential source cited by the Kyiv Independent confirmed that Kravchenko signed his own five-day travel authorization for a mission to France.

Broader Political Stakes and International Aid

The controversy marks the latest in a series of high-profile corruption scandals that have forced the departure of senior officials close to Zelensky and triggered multiple cabinet shake-ups. Kyrylo Budanov, Zelensky’s chief of staff, noted in comments to Ukrainska Pravda that the ongoing turbulence damages Ukraine’s international standing. Domestic anti-corruption reforms remain a central benchmark for international partners evaluating tens of billions of dollars in financial aid, as well as for Kiev’s formal candidacy for European Union membership.