Ukraine's Prosecutor General Kravchenko flees the country overnight — right after resigning amid corruption scandal

Ukraine's Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko left the country overnight, using an official car and citing a work trip to Lithuania as a pretext. This was reported by the Ukrainska Pravda portal, citing sources within law enforcement agencies.

According to the outlet, Kravchenko crossed the border at 2:30 a.m., while his wife had already left the country via Moldova earlier, at 1 a.m. on September 12.

Resignation follows corruption scandal

Shortly before his departure, Kravchenko submitted his resignation — after Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), announced on Saturday that they had uncovered a criminal organization operating within the Prosecutor General's Office as part of an operation codenamed "Carthage." The scheme was allegedly led by a senior official within the agency. Kravchenko's deputy, Serhii Kropyva, who headed the office's cybercrime unit, was taken into custody.

Formally, Kravchenko still remains in his post as Prosecutor General. After he filed his resignation letter, President Volodymyr Zelensky urged parliament to approve his dismissal immediately, but lawmakers are not expected to take up the matter until Tuesday.

Escape in exchange for silence?

According to the non-governmental Anti-Corruption Action Center, Kravchenko signed a notice of suspicion against the head of NABU in exchange for permission to leave the country. The organization believes his departure could only have taken place with the knowledge and approval of President Zelensky.

Source: novinky.cz