Ukrainian anti-corruption court detains suspect in 'Carthage' case tied to prosecutor's office

Why it matters

The case directly implicates a serving official of the Office of the Prosecutor General and his cohabitant in laundering proceeds from alleged protection of fraudulent call centers, and the recordings reference a superior that commentators tie to Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko. It is a high-profile test of whether Ukraine's anti-corruption institutions — NABU, SAPO and HACC — can reach the very top of the prosecutor's office. The prosecution's framing of a 24-year-old as aspiring to a deputy minister post also raises questions about vetting for senior government appointments.

What happened

On September 7, the Higher Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) selected a preventive measure for Yelyzaveta Ivakhnenko, a suspect in NABU's "Operation Carthage" case, ordering her into custody with an alternative bail of 20 million hryvnias — half the 50 million that SAPO had requested. Ivakhnenko, 24, is charged with legalization (laundering) of criminally obtained funds (Art. 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine); she appears in NABU materials under the codename "Muza."

Investigators say she helped Serhiy Kropyva, deputy head of the International Cooperation Department of the Office of the Prosecutor General, launder illegal funds. Kropyva, who appears in the case under the codename "Chancellor," was placed in custody by HACC on September 6 with an alternative bail of 120 million hryvnias until November 2. The pair was detained at Lviv railway station.

"Operation Carthage" was announced by NABU and SAPO on September 4. Five suspects face charges under Arts. 255 (criminal organization) and 209 (laundering). According to investigators, the group systematically received payments from fraudulent call centers and laundered proceeds through real estate, jewelry and other valuables worth over 20 million hryvnias, with an additional 10+ million routed through accounts of persons close to the suspects.

In court, prosecutors cited alleged risks that Ivakhnenko would flee (she was detained at Lviv station), destroy evidence (recordings quote her discussing deleting luxury items from social media), and influence witnesses. If bail is posted, she must surrender her passports, wear an electronic monitoring device and refrain from contacting witnesses — a list that includes Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko. Ivakhnenko rejected the charges and said the recordings were taken out of context. Her defense announced it would appeal.

Kravchenko denied any involvement and ordered Kropyva's suspension and preparation for dismissal. Recordings also mention a figure called "Boss/Шеф" with patronymic "Andriyovych" — described as having previously headed the Tax Service — which political commentators have tied to Kravchenko. The OGP says the court order for searches contains no data showing Kravchenko facilitated call-center activity.

How Ukrainian sources describe it

All reporting comes from Ukrainian outlets, and the dominant frame is institutional: can NABU, SAPO and HACC reach the top of the Office of the Prosecutor General? Coverage foregrounds the political-scientist commentary linking the recorded "Boss/Andriyovych" to Kravchenko, and reporting about Kravchenko's alleged "disappearance" after the operation began — portraying the case as a power test at the apex of the prosecutor's office. Articles also detail the prosecutorial narrative against Ivakhnenko — her lifestyle, alleged laundering through family members and FOPs, and her intended role as Deputy Minister of Education — framing the affair as a scandal over vetting for senior government posts. Side-by-side, sources carry Kravchenko's denial and the OGP's statement that the search order contains no evidence against him.

Where reporting differs

Sources disagree on the end date of Ivakhnenko's custody: most reports state November 2, while one account quotes the judge as stating November 2, 2026. The period covered by the alleged laundering scheme involving Kropyva and Ivakhnenko is given as "August 2025 to September 2026" in some prosecutor statements, but other accounts place the activity in mid-2025. Ivakhnenko's presence at Lviv railway station is also disputed: prosecutors say she and Kropyva fled there after learning of planned searches; she says she was traveling for leisure or as a postgraduate student. Finally, defense lawyers claim a published photo of an open safe with cash belongs to an unrelated "land" case, while prosecutor Karas says the photo relates to "Operation Carthage" but the cash was not found in OGP premises.

Background

On September 4, 2025, NABU and SAPO announced "Operation Carthage," exposing a criminal organization led by an Office of the Prosecutor General official (Kropyva), created in mid-2025, that allegedly collected payments from fraudulent call centers. Five suspects face charges under Articles 255 (criminal organization) and 209 (laundering) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine; investigators say the organization laundered more than 20 million hryvnias in assets with an additional 10+ million routed through close persons. On September 6, HACC placed Kropyva in custody with an alternative bail of 120 million hryvnias. On September 2, 2025, President Zelensky submitted to the Verkhovna Rada two draft laws tightening liability for fraudulent call-center activity. Overnight on September 4–5, NABU conducted searches of OGP premises used by Kravchenko, his first deputy Mariya Vdovychenko, and, according to Ukrainska Pravda sources, Odesa OVA head Oleh Kiper.