A law curbing anti-graft watchdogs has officially taken effect in Ukraine, triggering public protest and sharp criticism from legal observers and European officials. Submitted by the ruling Servant of the People party, which holds a majority in the Verkhovna Rada, the bill was passed on 22 July and signed into law by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that same evening — a rare instance of rapid enactment.

Key anti-graft watchdogs stripped of independence

Law No. 12414 was officially published on 23 July in the Rada’s Holos Ukrainy newspaper, granting it full legal force. As a result, the prosecutor general now has the authority to reassign investigations from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) to other law enforcement bodies, issue binding written instructions to NABU detectives, serve as the effective head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), and unilaterally close top-level corruption cases.

In addition, SAPO’s procedural autonomy is severely curtailed. The law removes the agency’s ability to determine NABU’s jurisdiction in exceptional cases, strips its head of the right to resolve jurisdictional disputes, and prevents SAPO leadership from altering appellate or cassation complaints submitted by its prosecutors. Transparency International Ukraine stated that the law is an attack on anti-graft safeguards and warned it dismantles the foundations of prosecutorial independence. 

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EU sounds alarm

The law was authored and pushed forward by MP Maksym Buzhanskyi, a member of Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party. It introduces sweeping amendments to Ukraine’s Criminal Code and bypassed standard parliamentary procedures. Critics argue it violated Article 116 of the Verkhovna Rada’s regulations by radically altering the subject of the original legislation.

EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said she was “seriously concerned” over the Rada vote.

“The dismantling of key safeguards protecting NABU’s independence is a serious step back. Independent bodies, like NABU [and] SAPO, are essential for [Ukraine’s] EU path. Rule of Law remains in the very center of EU accession negotiations,” she wrote on X.

Cities erupt in protest after Rada passes the law

The law’s passage sparked mass protests in Kyiv and multiple other Ukrainian cities including Lviv, Dnipro, Odesa, and Ivano-Frankivsk late on 22 July. Demonstrators accused Zelenskyy and parliament of dismantling Ukraine’s most trusted anti-corruption structures. 

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Zelenskyy offers no explanation beyond ‘Russian influence’

Despite public backlash and mounting criticism, Zelenskyy signed the bill into law, giving only a vague and unsupported rationale. In a video address on 22 July, he said that “anti-corruption infrastructure will work, but must be cleared of Russian influence.” He added that justice must become “more visible” and said cases involving fugitive officials should finally be pursued. However, he gave no details on how curbing anti-graft watchdogs would aid in countering Russian infiltration.

Intelligence raids, spy accusations, and political timing

Before the legislative push, starting 21 July, the SBU security service and Prosecutor General’s Office carried out approximately 80 searches targeting 19 NABU staff across multiple oblasts. Employees were accused of state treason, illicit trade with Russia, and acting on behalf of oligarchs. The State Bureau of Investigations simultaneously reopened dormant car crash cases involving NABU staff.

SAPO expressed concern that the SBU and prosecutor’s office had accessed covert investigative data, risking the exposure of classified operations. They warned that SBU actions could disrupt ongoing probes by revealing details of undercover measures.

Why watchdog independence mattered

NABU and SAPO were formed in 2015 after the 2014 Revolution of Dignity to combat entrenched elite corruption. NABU was empowered to investigate top-tier officials including the president (if no longer in office), ministers, MPs, judges, and high-ranking bureaucrats. SAPO was designed to prosecute those cases autonomously, free from political oversight. The agencies’ independence was a central requirement for Ukraine’s EU integration.

Tatarigami, a prominent Ukrainian analyst, wrote that the law creates mechanisms to derail or redirect any investigation that threatens presidential allies — not only under Zelenskyy but under any future president. He warned that the logic of citing “Russian influence” as a justification is flawed, since agencies like the SBU have themselves been infiltrated by Russian agents in the past.

Update: OECD warns Ukraine risks losing defense investment

According to European Pravda, the OECD has warned Kyiv that the law undermining NABU and SAPO could jeopardize both Ukraine’s OECD accession and its appeal to international investors.

In a letter dated 22 July, Julia Fromholz, head of the OECD Anti-Corruption Division, told the president’s office that law No. 12414 weakens anti-corruption safeguards and risks breaching Ukraine’s obligations under OECD standards.

New draft law aims to cancel restrictions on NABU and SAPO

A new bill has been prepared in the Verkhovna Rada to cancel the restrictions on NABU and SAPO introduced by the controversial law No. 12414 adopted on 22 July. The initial law limits the powers of Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies under the pretext of regulating wartime investigations into missing persons.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed Law No. 12414, which grants the Prosecutor General’s Office control over the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP).

The official website of the Ukrainian Parliament has confirmed that the president approved the law despite mass protests from anti-corruption watchdogs, European officials, and activists.

People in Lviv, Dnipro, and Odesa took to the streets to protest against the law that brings Ukraine back to the times of former pro-Russian President Victor Yanukovych, who was ousted in the 2013-2014 Euromaidan protests. 

The bill provides that:

• The Prosecutor General gains access to all NABU cases or can grant such access to any other prosecutor.
• The Prosecutor General can issue mandatory written instructions to NABU detectives and, if they are not followed, can change jurisdiction by transferring cases to other agencies,
• Has the right to close investigations at the request of the defense,
  Independently resolves jurisdiction disputes,
• Signs notes of suspicion against high-ranking officials personally.

The head of SAPO loses the right to participate in prosecutor groups, as this is decided solely by the Prosecutor General. 

People in Lviv, Dnipro, and Odesa took to the streets to protest the adoption of bill No. 12414 by the Ukrainian Parliament. It restricts the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), reports Suspilne.

On 22 July, the parliament approved bill No. 12414, which introduces changes to the Criminal Procedure Code regarding the pre-trial investigation of cases related to enforced disappearances under martial law conditions.

According to Ukrainian deputy Anastasiia Radina, amendments were added at the last moment that “turn SAPO into a decorative institution and make the activities of NABU and SAPO fully dependent on the will of the Prosecutor General.”

The bill provides that:

• The Prosecutor General gains access to all NABU cases or can grant such access to any other prosecutor.
• The Prosecutor General can issue mandatory written instructions to NABU detectives and, if they are not followed, can change jurisdiction by transferring cases to other agencies,
• Has the right to close investigations at the request of the defense,
• Independently resolves jurisdiction disputes,
• Signs notes of suspicion against high-ranking officials personally.

The head of SAPO loses the right to participate in prosecutor groups, as this is decided solely by the Prosecutor General, Hromadske reports. 

In Lviv, people gathered near the Taras Shevchenko monument to protest against the law. Co-organizer Justyna Moyseev said initially 30 people registered for the protest, but the expected number grew, and is expected to reach 100.

During the protest, people chanted slogans such as “Hands off NABU,” “Change or die,” and “Corruption is the death of the future.”

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“One must always remember that the Ukrainian people stand together primarily because we want victory, peace, and to move toward the EU. Only for this reason do Ukrainians endure and do not want to cause trouble. But it seems the authorities are forgetting this a little. We want to remind them,” said one Lviv protester, Roman Schmidt.

Residents of Dnipro also joined the protest. Participant Anna stressed that she does not support the adoption of this bill.

“This directly affects the fact that corruption in the country will most likely flourish, and that’s not okay. They won’t be independent,” she said. 

A similar protest gathered in Odesa, where people called on the president not to sign the bill, chanting “Protect democratic institutions.” 

Kyiv is also protesting against the bill. People are carrying posters reading “People’s wrath is scarier than NABU and SAPO,” “Money hates silence,” “No to the destruction of the anti-corruption system.”

On 22 July, the Ukrainian Parliament passed bill No. 12414, which effectively destroys the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), says the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO). 

The NAKO emphasizes that this decision will severely undermine trust in Ukraine on the international stage. The development of anti-corruption institutions, supported by civil society and international partners since 2015, was a key condition for Ukraine’s progress towards the EU and NATO.

The liquidation of NABU’s and SAPO’s independence threatens further international aid.

The law was adopted amid high-profile searches at NABU, where security forces uncovered an FSB agent working inside the bureau who passed information to Russia.

“Yesterday we saw SBU searches that showed NABU is not perfect, and that is true, but today these searches have been used by the authorities to dismantle an independent anti-corruption investigation,” says NAKO senior researcher Tetiana Nikolaienko.

Now the Prosecutor General becomes the de facto head of SAPO prosecutors, gains full access to NABU cases, has the right to transfer them to other bodies, decides jurisdiction disputes, and signs indictments against high-ranking officials. This destroys the possibility of conducting impartial investigations according to the law.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Action Center stresses that President Zelenskyy’s signature under this law will return the country to the times of former pro-Russian President Victor Yanukovych.

“Under these conditions, NABU, SAPO, and the High Anti-Corruption Court lose all meaning as Zelenskyy-installed Prosecutor General will stop investigations against all the president’s friends,” adds NAKO.

Accordingly, there is no point in electronic asset declarations, punishment for illegal enrichment, special confiscation, or other anti-corruption reforms.

The Civil Anti-Corruption Council under the Ministry of Defense says Ukraine’s anti-corruption system has lost its independence within several minutes. The organization is urging President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to veto a bill No. 12414, passed by Ukrainian lawmakers, which curtails the freedom of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO)

While the bill was introduced as addressing the investigation of wartime disappearances, last-minute amendments radically altered its essence. Both the relevant committee and the parliamentary chamber approved the changes at record speed.

“This law strips SAPO of its independence,” states the Civil Anti-Corruption Council under the Ministry of Defense.

From now on, the Prosecutor General will have direct control over prosecutors in the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, can reassign their powers, seize NABU cases, and issue directives.

This opens the door to manual control, political interference, impunity for loyal officials, and the destruction of independent investigations into high-level corruption.

“We are fighting for justice. But this law is about abuse of power and shielding installed persons,” the Council emphasizes.

The West has reacted swiftly to the law. The European Commission has voiced concern, stressing that EU financial support depends on progress in democratic governance. G7 ambassadors have said they plan to raise the issue with Ukrainian officials.

Guillaume Mercier, the spokesperson for the European Commission for Enlargement, has claimed that the EU is providing Ukraine with significant financial assistance “subject to progress in transparency, judicial reform, and democratic governance.”

“These bodies are crucial to Ukraine’s reform agenda and must act independently to fight corruption and maintain public trust,” he says.

NABU was established in 2015 under pressure from Western partners and civil society.

Kyiv risks losing crucial Western support after the Ukrainian Parliament passed, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reportedly signed, the controversial bill No. 12414. It curtails the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), UkrInform reports. 

The law requires key decisions by these institutions to be coordinated with the Prosecutor General’s Office. Vitali Shabunin, head of the Anti-Corruption Action Center, published the full text of the amendments, which he says “de facto nullify the independence of NABU and SAPO.”

The West has reacted swiftly. The European Commission has voiced “concern,” stressing that EU financial support depends on progress in democratic governance. G7 ambassadors have said they plan to raise the issue with Ukrainian officials, Reuters reports.

Guillaume Mercier, the spokesperson for the European Commission for Enlargement, has stressed that the EU is providing Ukraine with significant financial assistance “subject to progress in transparency, judicial reform and democratic governance,” according to Ukrainska Pravda. 

“These bodies are crucial to Ukraine’s reform agenda and must act independently to fight corruption and maintain public trust,” he said.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) arrested a NABU officer on suspicion of spying for Russia and detained another over alleged business ties with Russia. At least 15 NABU detectives were searched. NABU stated the SBU’s actions were “excessive” and effectively “paralyzed the agency’s operations,” Reuters reports.

Transparency International has warned that the developments show “systemic pressure” on independent anti-corruption bodies and urged President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to publicly reaffirm their independence. The allegations against the detectives are seen as too broad and contradictory not to raise suspicion of political motives.

NABU was established in 2015 under pressure from Western partners and civil society. Its ability to operate independently is now in doubt, especially in light of the arrests, which risk undermining trust in Ukraine’s anti-corruption efforts. Diplomatic missions are continuing to closely monitor the situation.