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Ukraine Places Anti-Corruption Agencies Under Prosecutor General’s Control, Prompting Mass Protests

He says the overhaul is needed to cleanse agencies of suspected Russian interference.

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Ukrainians protest in the first wartime rally against a newly passed law, which curbs independence of anti-corruption institutions, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in central Lviv, Ukraine July 22, 2025. REUTERS/Roman Baluk
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Protestant chant while holding banners that read "I stand for you, and for those who are on the frontline", "Do you want it like in Russia", "Stop robbing our future" during a protest against a law targeting anti-corruption institutions in central Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)

Overview

  • The law signed July 22 transfers the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) into the direct oversight of Ukraine’s prosecutor general.
  • Thousands of Ukrainians rallied in Kyiv and other cities demanding President Zelensky veto the measure to preserve the agencies’ independence.
  • European Commission officials warned that weakening NABU and SAPO could jeopardize Ukraine’s EU accession by eroding key anti-graft safeguards.
  • President Zelensky defends the restructuring as essential to expel Russian operatives and bring long-pending corruption cases to resolution.
  • The vote follows security service raids on NABU offices and the detention of bureau head Ruslan Magamedrasulov over alleged ties to Russian intelligence.