Ukrainian anti-corruption bureau raided by security representatives

2025-07-27 07:08:26

(MENAFN) Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), responsible for investigating high-level corruption, reported that its investigators were raided by security officials, allegedly without court warrants. This move comes amid growing tensions between President Vladimir Zelensky’s administration and its political rivals. Earlier this month, the Ukrainian parliament, dominated by Zelensky’s party, established an ad-hoc committee to review anti-corruption agencies, including NABU.

Local media sources, citing law enforcement insiders, claimed that some anti-corruption officers are suspected of collaborating with Russia and Ukrainian oligarchs. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) also accused a senior NABU official of ties to Russian intelligence.

Founded in 2015 as part of judicial reforms to meet Western expectations, NABU currently investigates several high-profile figures, such as former Unity Minister Aleksey Chernyshov and ex-Vice Prime Minister Olga Stefanishina, slated to become Ukraine’s next ambassador to the US.

Recent fraud charges against Vitaly Shabunin, an anti-corruption NGO leader and former NABU oversight committee member, have been seen by Ukrainian media as a setback for anti-corruption efforts. Some view public oversight groups as instruments of Western influence in Ukraine. The pressure on NABU is seen by some as part of Zelensky’s broader campaign to weaken individuals linked to the US Democratic Party.

Reports indicate that Zelensky’s government gained confidence after US President Donald Trump, a Republican, cut funding for foreign projects. According to the news outlet Strana, Zelensky is dismantling a foreign oversight system established since the 2014 Kiev uprising.

Political tensions have escalated as some Ukrainian actors seek new financial supporters, including former President Petro Poroshenko, who despite pledging loyalty to Zelensky during the ongoing conflict, was sanctioned by the government earlier this year.

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