Ukraine's Prosecutor General Kravchenko resigns amid 'Carthage' corruption investigation

Why it matters

The resignation removes the head of Ukraine's prosecution service amid an active anti-corruption investigation that implicates officials of his own office. It marks the fourth replacement of the Prosecutor General under President Zelensky, underscoring persistent institutional turnover at the post. The underlying 'Carthage' case targets alleged systematic bribery and money laundering tied to fraudulent call centers, with potential implications for public trust in law enforcement. The European Commission has commented on the resignation, indicating the case has relevance for Ukraine's EU accession-related anti-corruption benchmarks.

What happened

On the evening of September 7, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko announced via Telegram that he had submitted his resignation. Earlier the same day he had told journalists he had no intention of resigning voluntarily and would leave only if asked by his team, President Zelensky, or the Verkhovna Rada. President Zelensky met with Kravchenko and Servant of the People faction head Davyd Arakhamia the same day to discuss his future in office, and said a submission on Kravchenko's dismissal would be sent to parliament.

Kravchenko framed his resignation as a deliberate political decision and said he did not want the office of Prosecutor General to be used as an instrument of political confrontation. He stated his position regarding the accusations against him remained unchanged, and thanked the president and the Verkhovna Rada for their trust, asking that his dismissal be accepted.

The resignation came against the backdrop of the 'Carthage' special operation announced by NABU and SAP on September 4, which exposed an alleged criminal organization within the Office of the Prosecutor General accused of systematically receiving bribes from fraudulent call centers in exchange for not obstructing their activity, and of laundering the proceeds. Investigators identified the alleged leader as Serhiy Kropyva, deputy head of the international cooperation department, who in NABU recordings is referred to as 'Chancellor.' On September 6, the High Anti-Corruption Court (VAKS) placed Kropyva in custody with an alternative bail of 120 million hryvnias; on September 7, VAKS also detained Yelyzaveta 'Muza' Ivakhnenko with an alternative bail of 20 million hryvnias, and Kropyva's driver Serhiy Kutsyi with an alternative bail of 3 million hryvnias.

NABU and SAP conducted searches at Kravchenko's office and residence on the night of September 4-5, as well as at his deputy Mariya Vdovychenko and at Odesa OVA head Oleh Kiper. Kravchenko confirmed the searches of his own premises but said he holds no procedural status — neither witness nor suspect — in the case, and denied any involvement in 'covering' call centers.

How Ukrainian sources describe it

Ukrainian outlets give detailed coverage to Kravchenko's own framing of the resignation as a deliberate political decision, emphasizing his denial of any involvement in 'covering' call centers and his characterization of the situation as a political order. Coverage highlights NABU and SAP findings in the 'Carthage' case, including the identification of Serhiy Kropyva, court custody decisions for Kropyva, Ivakhnenko and Kutsyi, and anti-corruption prosecutors' claims that Kropyva organized repairs at Kravchenko's house in Kozyn and arranged travel for him in Spain. Ukrainian sources also describe Kravchenko's cooperation with the searches, his announcement of disciplinary submissions regarding seven prosecutors from Kropyva's circle, and reporting — based on LIGA.net sources — that it was President Zelensky who personally asked Kravchenko to write the resignation letter.

How international sources describe it

A German-language outlet framed the resignation as a 'corruption affair,' emphasizing the 'Carthage' investigation into call-center fraud and its reach into the prosecutor's office, and contextualizing the change as President Zelensky's fourth reshuffle of the Prosecutor General post since taking office, following the dismissal of Andriy Kostin in autumn 2024. An Arabic-language Qatari source presented the resignation as occurring 'amid investigations and corruption suspicions,' focusing on the corruption angle without delving into Kravchenko's political framing. The European Commission commented on the resignation, linking it to EU accession-related anti-corruption benchmarks.

Where reporting differs

Sources differ on the precise date of Kravchenko's appointment as Prosecutor General, with most citing June 21, 2025 and some citing June 17, 2025 as the Verkhovna Rada approval date. The Office of the Prosecutor General initially denied on the evening of September 4 that searches had been conducted at Kravchenko, but confirmed them the following day; Kravchenko himself later confirmed the searches of his own premises. Ukrainian media reports diverged on Kravchenko's whereabouts in the days after the 'Carthage' operation began: Ukrainska Pravda reported he could not be located, ZN.UA sources said he was in Kyiv at a private clinic, while the Office of the Prosecutor General and spokesperson Natalia Baiurko said on September 5 that Kravchenko was at his workplace. Earlier on September 7 Kravchenko told journalists he did not plan to resign voluntarily and would leave only if asked by the president or parliament; by the evening of the same day he announced his resignation via Telegram, with LIGA.net sources reporting that President Zelensky had personally asked him to write it.

Background

NABU and SAP announced the 'Carthage' special operation on September 4, exposing an alleged criminal organization accused of systematically receiving bribes from fraudulent call centers and laundering the proceeds. According to investigators, the organization was created and led in mid-2025 by a head of a structural unit of the Office of the Prosecutor General, identified in media and court materials as Serhiy Kropyva, deputy head of the international cooperation department. On September 6, the High Anti-Corruption Court (VAKS) placed Kropyva in custody with an alternative bail of 120 million hryvnias; on September 7, VAKS also detained Yelyzaveta 'Muza' Ivakhnenko (alternative bail 20 million hryvnias) and Kropyva's driver Serhiy Kutsyi (alternative bail 3 million hryvnias).

On the night of September 4-5, NABU and SAP conducted searches at Kravchenko's office and residence, as well as at his deputy Mariya Vdovychenko and at Odesa OVA head Oleh Kiper; Kravchenko subsequently confirmed the searches of his own premises.

Ruslan Kravchenko was appointed Prosecutor General in June 2025, with the Verkhovna Rada supporting the presidential submission with 273 votes. He previously headed the State Tax Service (December 2024 – June 2025), the Kyiv Oblast Military Administration (April 2023 – December 2024), and the Bucha district prosecutor's office. He succeeded Andriy Kostin, who was dismissed by parliament in autumn 2024 after a scandal over disability benefits improperly granted to prosecutors.