Ukraine's prosecutor general resigns amid major corruption scandal

Editor's note: This story is being updated.

Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said on Sept. 7 that he had submitted his resignation to President Volodymyr Zelensky and parliament.

"This is a political decision. And I made it consciously," Kravchenko announced. "I do not want the position of prosecutor general to be used as an instrument of political confrontation," he added.

Kravchenko said his position regarding the allegations against him remains unchanged, maintaining that he was not involved in the alleged scheme.

In announcing his resignation, Kravchenko also thanked prosecutors working across the country.

"I thank my colleagues who honestly perform their work. Those who represent the prosecution in court, work with victims, document Russian crimes, and defend the interests of the state," Kravchenko said.

The announcement marks a reversal from earlier on Sept. 7, when Kravchenko said he had no plans to resign amid an investigation into an alleged protection racket involving scam call centers and senior officials in the Prosecutor General's Office.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) announced on Sept. 5 that they had uncovered an alleged criminal organization led by a senior official in the Prosecutor General's Office that protected fraudulent call centers and laundered millions of hryvnias.

According to investigators, the group was created in mid-2025 and included serving prosecutors and associates outside the Prosecutor General's Office. The group allegedly received systematic bribes in exchange for allowing fraudulent call centers targeting Ukrainians and foreigners to operate without interference.

Investigators allege that proceeds from the scheme were laundered through property purchases, assets registered to third parties, and bank accounts belonging to associates. Five alleged members of the organization have so far been identified.

NABU detained Serhii Kropyva, a deputy head of the Prosecutor General's Office's international cooperation department, in connection with the case. Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court on Sept. 7 remanded Kropyva in custody until Nov. 2 and set bail at Hr 120 million ($2.7 million).

Kropyva is suspected of laundering assets worth more than Hr 89 million ($2 million) and has been suspended from his duties. Another suspect, Yelyzaveta Ivakhnenko, was also detained and had bail set at Hr 20 million ($450,000).

Recordings released by NABU also refer to a person identified as the "boss" who allegedly protected the group and whose patronymic is Andriiovych and who previously headed the State Tax Service — details that correspond to Kravchenko.

An earlier Telegram post by the Prosecutor General's Office confirms that the investigation understands the term "boss" as referring to Kravchenko.

NABU has not charged Kravchenko in the case so far.

At a Sept. 6 court hearing, an anti-corruption prosecutor also mentioned the close relationship between Kropyva and Kravchenko. Case materials allege Kropyva arranged repair work at a house in Kozyn, an elite residential area south of Kyiv where Kravchenko lives; Kravchenko later said his family rents the property.

Kravchenko, whose office was searched as part of the investigation, denied any involvement on Sept. 6, saying he had never instructed anyone to facilitate the operation of illegal call centers or used his position to protect them.