Ukraine's parliament voted Tuesday to dismiss Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, following a public battle with the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU). The crisis erupted after NABU launched Operation Carthage, alleging that senior officials in Kravchenko's office operated a criminal network protecting fraudulent call centers. Kravchenko has denied the allegations and accused NABU of corruption, but President Zelensky backed the anti-corruption bodies and called for his removal.
The Ukrainian parliament voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to dismiss Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, with 317 lawmakers supporting the motion. Kravchenko was not present for the vote, having left Ukraine days earlier.
The dismissal caps a crisis that began when NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) launched Operation Carthage. Investigators allege they uncovered a criminal organization operating from within the Prosecutor General's Office that provided protection to networks of fraudulent call centers. According to NABU, a senior official in Kravchenko's office led the group, and officials systematically accepted bribes to avoid disrupting the call centers. The suspects allegedly laundered tens of millions of hryvnias through real estate, jewelry, and transfers to associates. Five suspects have been named.
Kravchenko submitted his resignation on September 8, calling the investigation politically motivated. He denied any connection to the fraud call centers. In a video on Monday, he escalated the conflict by announcing his office had issued a suspicion notice against NABU head Semen Kryvonos for alleged forgery of official documents. Kravchenko also accused NABU and SAPO investigators of seizing materials from criminal case files during searches of his office. Kryvonos denied the allegations, saying he had not received the notice.
The crisis deepened when reports emerged that Kravchenko had left Ukraine by car at night. He described the trip as a work visit abroad to inform international partners of the 'true situation' of Ukraine's anti-corruption system. President Zelensky condemned the move, stating that after the notice against Kryvonos, Kravchenko's only path was dismissal. Zelensky formally suspended him on September 14 and called on parliament to confirm the removal.
The confrontation exposed a deep power struggle within Ukraine's law enforcement system. NABU and SAPO, created with Western backing to fight high-level corruption, were pitted against the Prosecutor General's Office. The timing is sensitive for Kyiv, as the independence and effectiveness of anti-corruption institutions are central to Ukraine's European Union integration efforts.
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