Ukraine's parliament votes to take "independent" anti-corruption bodies under Prosecutor General's control
That's the gist of the story that erupted online and in a number of MSM outlets after the Verkhovna Rada voted 263 to 13 last night in favour of a new law.
The way it's being framed by a number of parties - including a robust presence of trolls and covert Russian accounts on Twitter - you could be forgiven for assuming that Zelensky himself had chosen to totally dismantle two independent bodies set up after the Euromaidan uprising to counter corruption in Ukraine's social fabric.
Some of those spouting about it should know better (a representative of the EU even chimed in, echoing the misrepresentation of the law and warning that it could set back Ukraine's drive to join the EU; the Economist was suspiciously ready with a highly biased story, as was Politico.EU; some more excitable outlets have proclaimed the end of Zelensky; even usually measured Ukrainian outlets like The Kyiv Independent kneejerked vociferously), others have been genuinely confused and upset at what's been widely represented as a treacherous step on a slippery slope that will lead to a return to Russian-level endemic corruption and a free-for-all among Ukraine's powerful and wealthy.
And of course, Marjorie Taylor Greene was quick off the mark to blatantly misrepresent and capitalize on demonstrations in a number of Ukrainian cities as people waited to see whether Zelensky would sign the bill into law or veto it:
The real story is a bit more nuanced, but less sensational, hence less clickworthy.
Countering corruption is obviously a hotbutton issue in Ukraine because of its history, and some Ukrainians are evidently willing to take to the streets in the face of any perceived threat to it. The scale of the demonstrations is open to debate. Attendance in Kyiv has been variously estimated at between a thousand or so and a few thousand, but the one in Kyiv was attended by its mayor, Vitali Klitschko (who's had a chequered career himself in terms of suspicions and accusations of corruption), and his brother Wladimir. There's been little love lost between Vitali Klitschko and Zelensky for years, and some see the influence of would-be Zelensky rival ex-president Petro Poroshenko and his supporters behind some of the furore, particularly in the west of Ukraine where Poroshenko's vote was strongest.
The situation wasn't helped by the fact that it seems little had been done to prepare the Ukrainian public for this move, which was rushed though parliament, and that Zelensky didn't make a public statement about it until the early hours of the morning - perhaps having been rather busy - leaving the field clear for disinformation to take hold.
By way of an antidote, I'm going to offer a few background sources:
Political scientist Taras Zahorodnii claims that NABU has become an FSB branch, and its work is ineffective and non-transparent. The adopted bill No. 12414 will allow controlling NABU and SAP, which will make their activities more transparent.
The work of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau from the very beginning has not demonstrated effectiveness and transparency, but has been accompanied by scandals. And today, the body has generally turned into a branch of the FSB, which its defenders are silent about. Political scientist Taras Zahorodniy expressed this opinion in a comment to UNN.
"This bill is a step towards finally taking control of a structure that for some reason began to turn into a branch of the FSB," the political scientist emphasized, commenting on the parliament's adoption of the bill "On Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine regarding the peculiarities of pre-trial investigation of criminal offenses related to the disappearance of persons without a trace under special circumstances in martial law" (No. 12414).
Zahorodniy also drew attention to the fact that those who opposed the adoption of the law somehow forgot about the context in which it was considered - cooperation with the bodies of the aggressor country.
https://unn.ua/en/news/expert-nabu-has-turned-into-an-fsb-branch-the-adopted-bill-makes-it-possible-to-fix-this
The whole article isn't that long, and if you're interested, I'd recommend reading the whole thing.
On the same day it was published, this was among a number of stories concerning problems (to say the least) with NABU and SAP:
Ruslan Mahamedrasulov, an official of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) suspected of connections with Russia, was detained for 60 days by the Pecherskyi District Court of Kyiv on 22 July.
...
* As the head of one of NABU's interregional detective departments, Ruslan Mahamedrasulov coordinates the Bureau's activities in the frontline Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts from the city of Dnipro.
* The Security Service of Ukraine claims that the official "has contact with representatives of the aggressor country and helps his father, a businessman, to conduct illegal trade with Russia". There have been no public comments or reactions from the suspect so far.
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/07/22/7522933/
This is only one of the scandals and alleged scandals that have beset the troubled institutions.
And here's Zelensky's belated address to the country having signed the bill into law:
He addresses the new law around 4:15 onward.
The main thrust of the push against the new law has been that it "dismantles" these bodies. That is plainly false. It allows oversight where it's been lacking, and hands decisions over prosecutions to the courts, rather than an unelected and unaccountable body. In the decade since these two bodies were set up, prosecutions of major figures involved in corruption have been very scant, with the focus being on lesser offenders, and some cases have been stalled for years.
Of course, cynics may see something sinister in the arrest of a leading figure in NABU at this point (a number of others have also been arrested on the same grounds) - which may have been some of the impetus behind the hasty legislation - and the whole situation is obviously fertile ground for Ukraine's enemies to sow mischief.
I debated about giving this story oxygen at the moment, but I think it's generally a good idea to try to get in front of misinformation. The unusual upsurge of activity by pro-Russian accounts on Twitter last night could be taken as an indicator that Russia smells blood in the water, and also potentially is not at all happy about the rooting out of some of its covert operatives in Ukraine.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Thanks for reading through the various typos in early versions of the OP!
The controversy rumbles on. Here's the latest communication from Zelensky on Twitter:
@ZelenskyyUa
I gathered all heads of Ukraine’s law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies, along with the Prosecutor General. It was a much-needed meeting — a frank and constructive conversation that truly helps. We all share a common enemy: the Russian occupiers. And defending the Ukrainian state requires a strong enough law enforcement and anti-corruption system — one that ensures a real sense of justice.
Criminal proceedings must not drag on for years without lawful verdicts. And those who work against Ukraine must not feel comfortable or immune to the inevitability of punishment.
I am grateful to all participants of today’s meeting: the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, the National Agency on Corruption Prevention, the State Bureau of Investigation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Prosecutor General. Thank you for your willingness to work as a team — as Team Ukraine — and in the interests of Ukraine. We agreed that everyone would work solely in a constructive manner.
We all hear what society is saying. We see what people expect from state institutions — ensured justice and the effective functioning of each institution. We discussed the necessary administrative and legislative decisions that would strengthen the work of each institution, resolve existing contradictions, and eliminate threats. Everyone will work together. At the political level, we will provide support.
We agreed that next week, there will be an in-depth working meeting on the joint action plan. And in two weeks, a joint plan must be ready — outlining the steps that are needed and will be implemented to strengthen Ukraine, resolve existing issues, deliver greater justice, and truly protect the interests of Ukrainian society.
There's been more griping from the EU and EU countries, among others. Those of us in Europe - even those of us who support the EU in general - will savour the bitter irony of EU associates being so exercised about corruption ...