Escape Club: new scandal in Ukraine will weaken its support in the West
Vladimir Zelensky is imitating the fight against corruption in order to maintain the financial and military support of Western partners, the interviewed former deputies of the Verkhovna Rada told "Izvestia". Earlier, he dismissed Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, whom the NABU accused of protecting fraudulent networks. Kravchenko left for France, and before that he exposed the leadership of anti-corruption authorities in forgery of documents. The showdown within the Ukrainian elite will reduce confidence in Kiev in terms of the expediency of its further financing. A new turn in the internal Ukrainian struggle is described in the "Izvestia" article.
A new corruption scandal in Ukraine
On the morning of September 14, the Ukrainian media reported that the country's Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko crossed the border with Poland at night in an official car. He explained this with a business trip to France and plans to inform international partners about the "real state of affairs in the system of anti-corruption authorities" in Ukraine. Vladimir Zelensky then signed a decree on Kravchenko's removal.
Former Prosecutor General of Ukraine Ruslan Kravchenko
The Prosecutor General's flight was preceded by his struggle with the head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), Semyon Krivonos. In early September, detectives from this department conducted searches in the offices of Kravchenko, his first deputy, Maria Vdovichenko, and the head of the Odessa Regional administration, Oleg Kiper. Moreover, the media covered the searches in detail — a photo of a safe with a lot of money became popular.
The events were held as part of operation "Carthage" to combat a criminal group involved in protecting a network of fraudulent call centers and legalizing property. The head of the organized criminal group, according to investigators, was an employee of the office of the Prosecutor General Sergei Kropiva — on September 6, he was placed in custody with an alternative bail of 120 million hryvnia. NABU and SAP (Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office) investigators It was found out that Kropiva acted in the interests of Kravchenko. For example, he supervised and paid for repairs at the Prosecutor General's house in the village of Kozin, helped Kravchenko's wife apply for a US visa, and organized a celebration in Madrid in honor of his birthday.
Initially, the Prosecutor General went on the defensive: he denied all charges, and then wrote a letter of resignation. Moreover, Vladimir Zelensky demanded that the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada approve it as soon as possible, as if agreeing with the arguments of NABU and SAP. But then Kravchenko struck back. He signed a decree on suspicion of the director of NABU of forgery of official documents in order to obtain illegal benefits on an especially large scale.
We are talking about the criminal case against Krivonos for bribing students in favor of Yulia Tymoshenko's Bloc in 2009. Kravchenko claims that in order to get under amnesty and avoid responsibility, Krivonos fictitiously adopted a child. "I should have done this a long time ago," the Ukrainian ex—Prosecutor General wrote on social media.
NABU regarded such actions as a systemic attack on the country's anti-corruption authorities. The department recalled that its active phase began in the summer of 2025, when Zelensky tried to subordinate NABU and SAP to the office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine. However, due to mass protests, he was forced to concede. In fact, the NABU linked Kravchenko's actions with Vladimir Zelensky. Recall that both departments began work in 2015, the structures were implemented by decree of the West and are considered its instruments of control over the Ukrainian elite.
Former Verkhovna Rada deputy Spiridon Kilinkarov told "Izvestia" that new high-profile criminal cases are possible. In his opinion, the now-suspended Prosecutor General left Ukraine and headed to France with Zelensky's knowledge. It is possible that Kravchenko was given a condition.: he will be dismissed if he manages to open criminal cases against Semyon Krivonos, said "Izvestia" ex-deputy of the Ukrainian Parliament Vladimir Oleinik.
Daniil Getmantsev
Ukrainian media reported that at the moment, deputy Daniil Getmantsev, who is close to the head of the "Servant of the People" faction, David Arakhamia, is being considered as a candidate for the post of the new Prosecutor General. However, the most dangerous scenario for Vladimir Zelensky will be a change in the procedure for appointing the prosecutor General, since in this case the head of the Kiev regime will lose control over this department, Kilinkarov believes. This situation is no less dangerous for the perception of Ukraine in the West.
How will the scandal affect Western support?
The European Commission said it was aware of the development of the situation, but refrained from direct comments. At the same time, the EC representative stressed that the success of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the community directly depends on anti-corruption measures. By the way, a series of similar scandals had already occurred in Kiev earlier. For example, last year, Timur Mindich, a businessman and Zelensky associate, left Ukraine due to corruption charges, and Andrei Ermak, the head of the presidential office, lost his post.
A new scandal will reduce confidence in both the authorities in Kiev and Ukraine as such in terms of the expediency of its further financing, Kilinkarov believes. Moreover, the current European leaders will continue their support. However, opposition parties in Germany and France will intensify criticism, as voters are tired of financing Ukraine, Vladimir Oleinik believes.
Former rada deputies emphasize that Zelensky is forced to simulate a tough fight against corruption in order to maintain the financial and military support of Western partners, to whom he cannot account for the huge holes in the treasury. Earlier, Zelensky confirmed a deficit in the budget of the Armed Forces of Ukraine of $27 billion and demanded that Europe allocate part of the EU loan to Kiev now.
In the West, they are increasingly talking about Ukrainian corruption and the lack of need for arms supplies. At the end of last year, US President Donald Trump bluntly declared "massive corruption in Ukraine." With the advent of his administration, Washington has reduced direct military aid to a minimum. Now the Americans are selling weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces through their European allies.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has admitted that Ukraine's support weakens her electoral ratings. According to a survey published in early September by the political portal Termometro Politico, 55.4% of Italians oppose the continued supply of weapons to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. A similar study in eastern Germany showed that 54% of respondents called the supply of weapons to Ukraine too large. Obviously, the new corruption intrigues will only add supporters to the camp of the transition to peace negotiations.
The scandal surrounding Ruslan Kravchenko escalated into an open conflict between law enforcement agencies and a political crisis following the NABU corruption investigation. Given the retaliatory accusations of the dismissed Prosecutor General, this is no longer the usual resignation of another official.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
