Ruslan Kravchenko resigned after a raid linked his office to a money‑laundering ring tied to call‑centre scams; a safe reportedly containing US $100 bills was seized and deputy Serhiy Kropyva was detained. Investigators say the network laundered millions of hryvnias and bought luxury items with proceeds. The probe came as heavy Russian strikes on Kyiv killed two people, and Britain pledged an extra £100m for Ukraine's air defences.
Ukraine Prosecutor General Resigns After Raid Reveals Safe Packed With $100 Bills
Russia launched a sweeping attack on Kyiv ending a temporary ceasefire on Monday night - Gleb Garanich/Reuters
Ukraine's Prosecutor General, Ruslan Kravchenko, resigned after a weekend raid uncovered links between his office and a call-centre money‑laundering ring, investigators and anti-corruption agencies said. The searches revealed a safe reportedly stuffed with US $100 notes and prompted the detention of a senior deputy.
Kyiv on Tuesday morning, after a Russian attack, the latest in more than four years of war - Eugene Kotenko/AFP via Getty
Prosecutors and anti-corruption authorities say Serhiy Kropyva, deputy head of the office's international co‑operation department, was detained after investigators identified five people allegedly connected to a scheme that laundered millions of hryvnias. The National Anti‑Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti‑Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) allege the network accepted payments in exchange for protecting call centres operating phone scams and used proceeds to buy jewellery and high‑value property.
A family leaving an air raid shelter on Tuesday morning after a Russian attack on Kyiv - Yan Dobronosov/Reuters
Denials and Political Context
Mr Kravchenko denied the allegations as "completely unsubstantiated" and initially said he did not intend to resign. When he announced his resignation, he suggested the move was politically motivated, saying he did not want the prosecutor general's office used "as an instrument of political confrontation." The government has not yet issued an official response.
Firefighters in Kyiv in the early hours of Tuesday morning - Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty
Broader Corruption Concerns
The resignation comes amid broader controversy over alleged corruption within the Ukrainian government. Last summer, critics warned of attempts to curb the independence of anti‑graft bodies. In a separate probe last month, Iryna Mudra, a senior official in the presidential office, was dismissed after her home was searched in connection with a money‑laundering inquiry. Former ally Mykhailo Fedorov has publicly called for wartime elections, citing a "systemic crisis of governance".
Attack On Kyiv Coincides With Raid
The raid coincided with a heavy Russian bombardment of Kyiv that officials said involved jet‑powered drones and ballistic missiles. Authorities reported two people killed and 10 injured, with residential buildings, a school and warehouses damaged. Witnesses described entire streets set ablaze and apartment blocks hit by successive strikes.
Diplomatically, the strikes came hours after a three‑day ceasefire established to allow US envoys to visit expired. Steve Witkoff, President Trump's special envoy, said there had been "substantive progress" in talks shortly before departing.
International Response
Britain pledged an additional £100 million to bolster Ukraine's air defences this winter, including further Patriot missiles. President Volodymyr Zelensky said he hoped to meet former President Donald Trump later this month to discuss a US air‑defence package. Ukraine's foreign minister called on allies to increase supplies of interceptors to counter ballistic missiles, while Poland launched aviation operations to safeguard its airspace amid the strikes.
Officials say investigations are ongoing. NABU and SAPO released images of the seized safe and said probes had identified several suspects, though names have not been publicly disclosed.
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