"Criminal organization" at the top of government: investigation operation shakes Kyiv
Anti-corruption agencies in Ukraine are conducting a major operation against a "criminal organization" allegedly involving members of parliament and senior officials in the President's Office. The names of the suspects and the details of the offenses have not yet been disclosed, against the backdrop of a series of scandals affecting the circle of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Anti-corruption agencies in Ukraine announced this morning, Wednesday, that they are conducting a broad operation to expose a "criminal organization" that allegedly operated under the leadership of a sitting member of parliament and a former member of parliament, with the participation of senior officials in the Office of the President of Ukraine and other parties.
At this stage, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) have not released the names of the suspects, the details of the suspicions, or the specific offenses being investigated, clarifying that further information will be provided later.
This unusual announcement is generating significant interest in Kyiv, as it points to an investigation that is once again reaching the highest levels of the Ukrainian political system.
According to local media reports, the operation is being conducted against a group allegedly led by sitting and former politicians, with the involvement of senior officials in the Presidential Office. As of Wednesday morning, there were no reports of arrests or searches, and it has not been disclosed whether President Volodymyr Zelensky or his office have provided a response.
The current investigation follows months of turmoil surrounding corruption affairs that have touched the close circle of Volodymyr Zelensky. Last May, anti-corruption authorities announced that Andriy Yermak, the former head of the Presidential Office, who was considered for years one of the most powerful people in the country, was suspected of laundering hundreds of millions of hryvnias through a luxury real estate project near Kyiv. Andriy Yermak, who resigned from his position in November 2025 after investigators conducted searches, denied the offenses attributed to him.
The struggle over the independence of investigative bodies already turned into a political crisis for Volodymyr Zelensky last year. In July 2025, the parliament approved legislation that limited the independence of NABU and SAPO and transferred significant powers to the Prosecutor General. The move sparked the largest public protests in Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, alongside criticism from the European Union. Following this pressure, Volodymyr Zelensky reversed the move, and the independence of the bodies was restored.
In the background also stands the massive corruption affair at the state energy company Energoatom, in which former senior officials and businessmen close to the centers of power in Kyiv have been investigated over the past year.
The investigation, known as "Operation Midas," dealt with suspicions of a bribery and money laundering system involving tens of millions of dollars. It became a central test of the ability of NABU and SAPO to act against senior officials even during wartime. At this stage, there is no public basis to link the new investigation to the Midas affair, and authorities have not yet reported whether there is a connection between the cases.
