Everything must be ‘purged of Russian influence,’ Zelensky says after anti-corruption agencies lose independence

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had met with the heads of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) following the passage of a new law that strips both agencies of their independence and places them under the control of the Prosecutor General’s office.

“The anti-corruption infrastructure will continue to function — just without Russian influence. That all has to be purged. And there must be more justice,” Zelensky said in a video address released early on Wednesday, July 23.

He added that NABU and SAPO would keep working, and that the Prosecutor General was determined “to ensure that those who break the law are truly held accountable.”

“Cases that have been sitting idle must be investigated,” he said. “For years, officials who fled Ukraine have somehow been living comfortably abroad — in very pleasant countries and with no legal consequences. That’s not normal. There’s no rational explanation for why criminal cases worth billions have been left hanging for years. And no explanation for why Russians are still able to access information they need. It’s important that this happens without Russian involvement. It’s important that punishment is inevitable — and that society can see it clearly.”

At the same time, Zelensky did not directly comment on Bill No. 12414, which was passed by parliament on July 22. He signed the bill just hours before releasing his video. Nor did he comment on the protests that broke out in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, and Dnipro in response to the legislation.

Bill No. 12414 effectively subordinates NABU and SAPO to the Prosecutor General’s office and strips them of their independence. The legislation gives the Prosecutor General’s office access to all NABU cases and the authority to issue mandatory written instructions to NABU detectives. It also grants the power to close investigations upon defense request, settle jurisdictional disputes unilaterally, and requisition case materials for reassignment.

According to Ukrainska Pravda, the heads of NABU and SAPO had urged Zelensky not to sign the bill. Protesters who took to the streets on July 22 called on him to veto it. The European Union and G7 countries also raised concerns about the measure.

A day earlier, on July 21, Ukrainian investigators conducted searches targeting NABU employees. Ukrainian media reported that the Security Service and the Prosecutor General’s office were conducting a special operation to “neutralize Russian influence over NABU.”