High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine
The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine (HACC/ВАКС) is a specialised permanent court within Ukraine's judiciary, established in 2019 to handle criminal proceedings in top-corruption cases. It has jurisdiction over cases investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). The court tries high-ranking officials, judges, members of parliament and other persons designated by law.
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Ukraine anti-corruption agencies complete investigation into ex-justice minister Stefanishyna
NABU and SAPO have finished the pre-trial investigation into former Vice Prime Minister and Justice Minister Olha Stefanishyna, who is suspected of illicit enrichment of more than UAH 13.9 million and of filing false declarations. The case file has been opened to her defense for review, after which court hearings are expected to begin. The case centers on two Kyiv apartments worth nearly UAH 11 million, an undeclared apartment in the Lvivska Ploshcha complex, and an undeclared Mercedes-Benz.
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EU extends Ukraine sanctions for three years but drops Usmanov and Fridman, prompting Ukrainian criticism
On 22 September, the EU Council extended Ukraine-related sanctions for 36 months until 22 September 2029, the first time the regime has been renewed for three years instead of the usual six-month cycle. In the same decision, the EU removed Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the list. Ukraine called the delisting "shameful" and unjustified, and the Baltic states announced national sanctions in response. A day later, on 23 September, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev pardoned French citizen Martin Ryan, who had been sentenced to ten years in prison on espionage charges that France rejects.
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Ukraine's Prosecutor General Kravchenko resigns amid 'Carthage' corruption investigation
On the evening of September 7, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko submitted his resignation, the same day he had earlier told journalists he would not step down voluntarily. The resignation comes against the backdrop of the NABU and SAP "Carthage" special operation, which exposed an alleged criminal organization within the Office of the Prosecutor General accused of systematically receiving bribes from fraudulent call centers and laundering proceeds.