Prosecutor General Kravchenko files criminal charges against NABU director Kryvonos

Kravchenko claimed that anti-corruption agencies obtained legally protected case files during Operation Carthage and subsequent searches, and that some of those documents were copied and stolen.

“The so-called ‘Operation Carthage’ wasn't just aimed at me,” Kravchenko said in his video address. “Its real goal was to gain access to case files on the leadership and staff of NABU and SAPO, and then remove the Prosecutor General to block any procedural decisions.”

“During the searches conducted in these cases, NABU and SAPO obtained legally protected case files. Some of those documents were copied and stolen.”

He added that he suspects Kryvonos of forging official documents to secure a particularly large illicit benefit and arranging a sham adoption “to artificially create grounds to avoid liability.”

Kravchenko said a second criminal charge targets a close associate of Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) head Oleksandr Klymenko. The case involves allegations of “influencing the head of the High Anti-Corruption Court, offering him an illicit benefit, and facilitating evasion of mobilization,” which the Prosecutor General claims was the “trigger” for the raids on his own office.

Kravchenko claimed that Zelenskyy had previously held him back “politically” from bringing the charges, and that NABU and SAPO had also “held back” the case by “offering immunity in exchange for refraining from filing the charges.”

“I promised not to be politically convenient and not to shy away from a decision demanded by the law and the evidence,” Kravchenko said. “I know that no one else would have done this, so I am prepared for all the political and media repercussions. But these charges have already been filed.”

Kravchenko maintained that the “sole objective” of the NABU and SAPO operation Carthage was to stop him “as a direct political opponent” and as “someone who could hinder the election of the desired new head of the SAPO,” before advising Kryvonos and Klymenko to resign.

In a comment to NV, Semen Kryvonos hit back, stating that he has not yet been formally charged and calling the case against him fabricated.

Ukrainska Pravda reported on September 8 that investigators found evidence of systematic surveillance targeting anti-corruption agency leaders, their families, and staff during a search at the home of First Deputy Prosecutor General Mariya Vdovychenko.

“Despite recent developments, the Prosecutor General intended to counterattack the anti-corruption bodies. However, the outcomes of last year's attempt to impose Russian influence on anti-graft agencies suggest that the Prosecutor General's Office prioritizes the attack itself over its legality,” Ukrainska Pravda noted.

Ruslan Kravchenko submitted his resignation as Prosecutor General of Ukraine on September 7. Kravchenko characterized his departure as a deliberate “political decision.”

Kravchenko alleged he holds no procedural status in the high-profile Carthage investigation, labelling the scrutiny as “an attempt at political pressure.” He confirmed that law enforcement searched both his private residence and official government office.

The Carthage case

NABU announced on September 4 a major operation aimed at dismantling a criminal organization allegedly directed by a senior official within the Prosecutor General's Office. NABU and SAPO arrested Serhii Kropyva, head of the agency's cyber department, accusing him of providing institutional protection to a transnational network of fraudulent call centers and laundering criminal proceeds. 

The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) remanded Kropyva into custody until November 2, setting bail at 120 million UAH (roughly $2.7 million). Kropyva is suspected of running protection for the fraudulent call centers and laundering over 89 million UAH (around $2 million). His defense attorneys announced plans to appeal.

During a bail hearing for Serhii Kropyva, a SAPO prosecutor detailed Kropyva's close relationship with Kravchenko.

An Anti-Corruption Action Center (ANTAC) statement noted that wiretapped recordings show Kropyva organized home renovations for Kravchenko at a house in Kozyn, including the installation of a gas generator.

Journalists from the investigative outlet Bihus.Info located a 300-square-meter house, which matches the property mentioned during the HACC hearing. According to the report, which included photos of the estate, the property was registered in early 2026 to a 73-year-old woman who had registered as a private entrepreneur just a month earlier and does not appear as a relative on Kravchenko’s official asset declaration.