On Monday, Ukraine’s domestic security agency detained two NABU officials on suspicion of links to Russia and searched other agency employees on unrelated allegations.
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Thousands of Ukrainians rallied in Kyiv and other cities on Tuesday, urging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to veto legislation which critics say undermines the country’s anti-corruption infrastructure.
The protest marked the first major rally against the government in more than three years of Russia’s ongoing, full-scale invasion.
Ukraine’s parliament had passed a bill which tightened oversight of two key anti-corruption bodies – the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). Opponents warn the measure could weaken the independence of the agencies and increase political influence over investigations.
Despite public outcry, Zelenskyy reportedly signed the bill into law on Tuesday.
Fighting corruption is a key condition for Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union and for secure ongoing Western financial support as it fights Russia’s invasion. The move sparked anger among civil society and officials.
“In effect, if this bill becomes law, the head of SAPO will become a nominal figure, while NABU will lose its independence and turn into a subdivision of the prosecutor general’s office,” the agencies said in a joint statement on Telegram.
In a post on X, the EU’s Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos also expressed concern over the vote in the Ukrainian parliament.
She described it as a “serious step back” and said “Independent bodies like NABU & SAPO are essential for Ukraine’s EU path. Rule of Law remains in the very centre of EU accession negotiations.”
The Ukrainian branch of Transparency International also criticised the news, saying it undermines past reform and damages trust with international partners.
The group urged Zelenskyy to veto the law, warning that otherwise he would share responsibility with the parliament for “dismantling Ukraine’s anti-corruption infrastructure.”
While rallies have taken place since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, they have largely focused on the return of prisoners of war or missing people. Protests, however, remain a traditional form of public pressure in Ukraine, where two previous revolutions were victorious for the public.
Many protesters at Tuesday’s demonstration carried signs reading “Veto the law,” “Protect the anti-corruption system, protect Ukraine’s future,” or simply “We are against it.”