Prosecutor General Kravchenko signs suspicion against NABU director Kryvonos, Zelensky demands his dismissal

Why it matters

The episode marks an open conflict between the Office of the Prosecutor General and Ukraine's main anti-corruption bodies, NABU and SAPO, at the very top of the law-enforcement system. With President Zelensky publicly backing Kravchenko's dismissal, the Verkhovna Rada is now positioned to vote on removing a sitting Prosecutor General. NABU director Kryvonos's status — and, by extension, the independence of anti-corruption investigations — is directly contested. Reports that Kravchenko left the country on the night of 14 September add a question of accountability, as critics allege his departure was tied to the signing of the suspicion against Kryvonos.

What happened

On the morning of 14 September 2026, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko published a video address saying he had signed a notice of suspicion against NABU director Semen Kryvonos. According to Kravchenko, Kryvonos is suspected of forging official documents to obtain unlawful benefit in especially large amounts and of fictitious adoption aimed at artificially creating grounds to avoid responsibility in court. Kravchenko also said he had signed a suspicion against a person close to Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) head Oleksandr Klymenko on allegations of influencing judges of the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC), offering them unlawful benefit, and facilitating evasion of mobilization. The documents were registered in the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations and dated 13 September, with the name of the person close to the SAPO head blurred in the published copies.

Kravchenko framed the moves as the "trigger and true cause" of what he called the nighttime storming of the Office of the Prosecutor General. He alleged that the "Carthage" operation by NABU and SAPO was aimed at obtaining access to protected materials of criminal proceedings concerning NABU and SAPO leaders and staff, and then at removing him and halting procedural decisions in those cases. He claimed that during searches at the Office of the Prosecutor General, NABU and SAPO representatives obtained access to protected materials and that part of the documents and electronic data were copied and stolen. He also said the Office of the Prosecutor General is conducting procedural guidance in dozens of criminal proceedings investigating grave and especially grave crimes allegedly committed by NABU and SAPO employees, with over 100 persons questioned and a significant body of covert investigative materials collected. Kravchenko further stated he had previously been "politically restrained" from signing these suspicions by President Zelensky, and that anti-corruption officials had offered him guarantees of non-prosecution in exchange for refraining; he advised both Kryvonos and Klymenko to resign.

President Volodymyr Zelensky responded on the same day, stating that Kravchenko has "only one path: dismissal from office," that he had already told Kravchenko this at their meeting, and asking members of the Verkhovna Rada to support the dismissal immediately. Kravchenko's resignation had been submitted on 7 September; the parliament had not yet voted on it at the time of reporting.

NABU, SAPO and Kryvonos himself rejected the announcement. NABU and SAPO said that as of their statements no suspicion had been officially served on the NABU director, and described Kravchenko's actions as a continuation of a systemic attack on independent anti-corruption bodies that began the previous summer. NABU also said it had not seized any of the criminal proceedings Kravchenko referenced, and denied ever offering or demanding "guarantees of non-prosecution" for anyone. Kryvonos said the case against him is fabricated and that no suspicion has been formally served on him.

According to sources in law enforcement cited by Ukrainska Pravda, Kravchenko crossed the border on the night of 14 September at around 02:30 in an official vehicle, allegedly using a business trip to Lithuania as a pretext. Kravchenko confirmed on Telegram that he is on a foreign business trip and intends to inform international partners about what he described as the real state of affairs in Ukraine's anti-corruption system. The Anti-Corruption Action Center (TsPK) alleged that Kravchenko's departure abroad was only possible with President Zelensky's permission and was linked to his signing the suspicion against Kryvonos — a claim Kravchenko has not confirmed.

How Ukrainian sources describe it

Ukrainian outlets frame the episode as an open conflict between the Office of the Prosecutor General and the country's anti-corruption infrastructure, foregrounding Kravchenko's allegation that the "Carthage" operation was aimed at seizing protected case materials and removing him. Coverage emphasizes Zelensky's sharp public response — demanding immediate dismissal — and the parliamentary dimension, noting that the Verkhovna Rada has not yet voted on the resignation letter submitted on 7 September. Ukrainian reporting also tracks the late-night border crossing by Kravchenko and the competing narratives around it: an official business trip to brief international partners, according to Kravchenko, versus allegations by the Anti-Corruption Action Center that the departure was a deal with the President. Kryvonos's counter-claim that no suspicion has been served on him and that the case is fabricated is given prominent placement.

Where reporting differs

Sources differ on three main points. First, whether the suspicion notice against NABU director Kryvonos was actually served: Kravchenko and the Office of the Prosecutor General state he signed and registered it in the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations, while NABU, SAPO and Kryvonos himself say no suspicion had been formally served as of their statements. Second, the role of the President: Kravchenko claims Zelensky "politically restrained" him from signing the suspicions, while Zelensky's public response frames Kravchenko's actions as the trigger for demanding his dismissal. Third, the circumstances of Kravchenko's departure abroad: Kravchenko and his Telegram post describe an official business trip to Lithuania to brief international partners, whereas the Anti-Corruption Action Center (TsPK) and other commentators allege the trip was only possible with the President's permission and was connected to his signing the suspicion against Kryvonos.

Background

On 4 September, NABU and SAPO announced the "Carthage" operation exposing an alleged criminal organization led by Office of the Prosecutor General official Serhiy Kropyva, deputy head of the Department of International Legal Cooperation, accused of systematically taking bribes to provide cover for fraudulent call centers and laundering proceeds. The High Anti-Corruption Court subsequently detained Kropyva and several co-suspects with high alternative bails, including his partner Yelyzaveta Ivakhnenko (alternative bail UAH 20 million), his driver Serhiy Kutsyi (UAH 3 million), and his relative and confidant Oleksandr Didych. Kravchenko submitted his resignation on 7 September; the Verkhovna Rada had not yet voted on it at the time of reporting. According to media reports, on 7 September President Zelensky met with Kravchenko and "Servant of the People" faction head Davyd Arakhamia to decide on Kravchenko's further tenure. Kravchenko has publicly denied any involvement in covering illegal call centers and said he gave no instructions to facilitate such activity.