Ukraine’s parliament dismissed Ruslan Kravchenko following his resignation and a conflict with anti-corruption institutions

Ukraine’s parliament dismissed Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko on Tuesday, one week after he announced his resignation and one day after he said he had approved indicting the head of Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), Semen Kryvonos. The decision was adopted without a single vote against, amid an open conflict between the Prosecutor General’s Office and anti-corruption institutions.

NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) said Kravchenko’s announcement represented an attempt to undermine their independence. Meanwhile, NABU is investigating an alleged group that purportedly protected fraudulent call centers and laundered millions of hryvnias. The investigation raised questions about possible links between Kravchenko and the group, but he has not been formally charged.

Kravchenko submitted his resignation on September 7, after a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had long been considered his supporter. Before the vote, the prosecutor general urged lawmakers not to act under pressure and said he had not signed politically motivated decisions against the opposition or the ruling party.

Zelensky had publicly called for Kravchenko’s swift dismissal, declaring that he had “only one way out.” The former prosecutor general had also requested permission to attend a European conference in Paris, but the Council of Europe confirmed that he would not take part in the event.