Ukrainian parliament dismisses prosecutor general amid corruption scandal, anti-graft war and bizarre Paris trip

On September 15, Ukraine's parliament dismissed Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, following his resignation and a day after he announced charges against the head of the country's anti-corruption bureau. The dismissal occurred without a single vote against it and comes amid ongoing tension between Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies and the Prosecutor General's Office.

Kravchenko's announcement of charges against NABU chief Semen Kryvonos was seen as part of an effort to undermine the independence of anti-corruption agencies. After Kravchenko's announcement, the Prosecutor General's Office posted a statement claiming the charges were "not true" and "canceled," though it remained unclear whose authority this was.

Kravchenko had urged lawmakers not to vote under pressure, stating he had not signed any politically motivated procedural decisions against them. He had resigned on September 7 following a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky amid the corruption controversy. The NABU investigation has raised questions about Kravchenko's alleged connections to a group that allegedly protected scam call centers.

Investigators have referred to a "boss" in recordings who allegedly provided protection to the group, a detail that matches Kravchenko's background. Despite not being formally charged, Kravchenko's actions have further escalated the conflict between the Prosecutor General's Office and the anti-corruption agencies. The dispute arose as Kravchenko was preparing to leave Ukraine for a European conference on Ukrainian children in Paris, which he later did not attend.

His approval of charges against Kryvonos further deepened the divide between the two agencies. President Zelensky urged parliament to swiftly dismiss Kravchenko, citing numerous reasons for his removal.