Ukraine Arrests Anti-Corruption Officials Over Russian Links

One was accused of being a Russian spy, and the other of having business ties to Russia.

The SBU also claimed some NABU staff had connections to a banned political party led by a fugitive Ukrainian lawmaker. In response, NABU said the crackdown had essentially shut down its operations and accused the authorities of using unrelated accusations—including old traffic incidents—to justify their actions.

NABU reported that 70 searches were carried out across 15 employees, often without court approval. The agency stated that most accusations stemmed from road traffic accidents, some dating back as far as four years, although a few involved Russian links.

While NABU acknowledged the threat of Russian infiltration remains serious, it argued this should not be used as a reason to disable the entire institution.

Political Pressure or National Security?
The crackdown has drawn criticism from anti-corruption campaigners and international observers. Transparency International warned that these moves reflected "massive pressure" on Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies.

The organization urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to protect the independence of such agencies.

Concerns also came from foreign governments. G7 ambassadors in Kyiv expressed support for transparent and independent institutions. After meeting with NABU officials, they voiced serious concerns and planned further discussions with Ukrainian leadership.

Tensions have been building since Vitaliy Shabunin, a well-known anti-corruption activist, was recently charged with fraud and evading military service.

Shabunin and his allies view the case as retaliation for exposing corruption within the government. He strongly condemned Monday's search operations targeting NABU staff.

Zelenskiy's administration denies any political motives behind the prosecutions.

Spy Allegations and Broader Accusations
The SBU said one of the arrested NABU officials had acted as a mole, passing information to Russian intelligence more than 60 times. Another senior NABU detective was accused of helping his father sell industrial hemp to Russia.

In a separate case, several NABU officials were said to be linked to Fedir Khrystenko, a lawmaker who reportedly fled Ukraine after the 2022 Russian invasion.

Meanwhile, the State Bureau of Investigations said it issued formal suspicion notices to three NABU employees over road accidents that had caused injuries. NABU stressed that these incidents were minor and happened years ago.

Despite acknowledging the threat posed by Russia, many observers warn that the current crackdown risks undermining Ukraine's anti-corruption progress at a critical time.