Hours after charging Kryvonos, ex-PG Kravchenko drops security and flees country

Former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko took swift action hours after officially charging National Anti-Corruption Bureau Director Semen Kryvonos, promptly waiving his own security detail and then fleeing the country. Ukrainska Pravda reported that Kravchenko's decision to waive his security was made around 1:00 a.m. local time on September 14, approximately two hours following the filing of charges against Kryvonos.

This move indicated that Kravchenko did not intend to leave the country on routine business, as maintaining a security detail would make it easier for authorities to monitor his movements. The timing also suggested that Kravchenko likely stepped across the border into Poland at the Shehyni checkpoint at 2:30 a.m., just ninety minutes after he waived his protection and three hours after filing the charges.

Kravchenko's wife had already left the country on September 12, passing through Moldova before heading to neighboring Romania. Reports suggested that concerns about Kravchenko's plans to abandon his post had been circulating among high-ranking officials for several days prior to his departure. Following Kravchenko's charges against Kryvonos, the Ukrainian prosecutor claimed to suspect the NABU director of forging official documents to secure a significant illicit benefit.

Kravchenko further alleged that during Operation Carthage and related searches, NABU obtained access to sensitive case files pertaining to the leadership of anti-corruption agencies. In response, Kryvonos denied any formal charges and labeled the case as fabricated. Both NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office described Kravchenko's actions as part of a "systematic attack on independent anti-corruption institutions."

In response to Kravchenko's departure, Zelenskyy called for his removal from office and urged the Ukrainian Parliament to support his resignation. On September 14, President Zelenskyy signed a decree dismissing Kravchenko as Prosecutor General. Kravchenko later recorded a video statement, claiming his actions were due to a scheduled business trip to Lithuania, while the Prosecutor General's Office contested the charges, stating they were "completely unsubstantiated and lacked any legal basis."

The Ukrainian Parliament ultimately voted 317-0 on September 15 to approve Kravchenko's resignation, completing his removal from office.