Ukraine's chief prosecutor Ruslan Kravchenko resigns over illegal call-centre corruption probe

Ukraine’s chief prosecutor Ruslan Kravchenko resigned after anti‑corruption investigators searched his offices over the weekend as part of a probe into illegal call centres.

The National Anti‑Corruption Bureau (Nabu) and the Specialised Anti‑Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (Sap) say they identified a money‑laundering network allegedly run by an official in Kravchenko’s office. According to them, the network received payments to protect call centres that carried out phone scams and laundered millions into property, jewellery and other valuables.

Kravchenko issued a statement on Sunday rejecting the allegations as “completely unsubstantiated” and denying any wrongdoing. He submitted his resignation a day later, saying he did not want his position used as a “tool for political confrontation,” and thanked President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainian parliament for their trust. Zelensky has not yet commented publicly.

The case adds to a series of corruption scandals during the war with Russia. Protests in 2025 erupted after Zelensky attempted reforms seen as curbing the independence of Nabu and Sap; following backlash he restored their freedom, but doubts about commitment to anti‑corruption reforms have persisted.

Last month Nabu said it had uncovered a scheme to misappropriate more than $3m (in Ukrainian currency equivalent) to pay bail for a former energy minister accused of money‑laundering, and a senior official in Zelensky’s office alleged to be involved was sacked. Former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov told the BBC that Zelensky should be asked about what he knew of possible corruption in his inner circle, while saying he had no evidence the president was personally involved.