Ukraine's anti-corruption agency uncovers criminal group protecting scam call centers, allegedly led by a top prosecutor

Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) announced on September 5 that they had uncovered an alleged criminal organization. This group, allegedly led by a high-ranking official within the Prosecutor General's Office, allegedly protected fraudulent call centers and laundered millions of hryvnias.

The investigation is part of a series of high-profile NABU probes, including cases involving former Zelensky aides Iryna Mudra and Andriy Yermak, as well as the Energoatom corruption case. The alleged mastermind remains unnamed, with NABU only identifying him as a head of one of the Prosecutor General's Office's structural units.

On September 4, a law enforcement source told the Kyiv Independent that Serhiy Kropyva, a deputy head of the international cooperation department at the Prosecutor General's Office, had been detained in connection with the case. According to investigators, Kropyva established the group in mid-2025, recruiting serving prosecutors and associates outside the Prosecutor General's Office.

These individuals allegedly received regular bribes in exchange for permitting fraudulent call centers to operate without obstruction. The call centers targeted both Ukrainian citizens and foreigners. NABU stated that operating fraudulent call centers is one of the most lucrative forms of crime in Ukraine. Criminal proceedings were initiated by Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies into a criminal group that allegedly protected scam call centers and was led by a senior official in the Prosecutor General's Office.

The scandal, reported on September 5, 2026, netted over Hr 20 million ($450,000) in real estate, jewelry, and other valuable assets. Assets worth at least Hr 12 million ($270,000) were registered in the names of third parties to obscure their true ownership, including property in an apartment complex near the Carpathian Mountains.

A further Hr 10 million ($225,000) was found in bank accounts belonging to associates, listed as legitimate business income. Five alleged members of the organization have been identified so far. NABU alleges that the group was operating under the protection of an individual referred to as the "boss." His patronymic is noted as Andriiovych, based on recordings released by NABU.

Within the Prosecutor General's Office, a top prosecutor could directly report to Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, whose patronymic is also Andriiovych. However, NABU did not explicitly accuse Kravchenko or the Prosecutor General's Office of any wrongdoing. Earlier on September 4, the Prosecutor General's Office denied reports that his office had been searched as part of the investigation, and neither Kravchenko nor the Prosecutor General's Office has commented on the allegations.