"This is a political decision, and I made it voluntarily," Kravchenko announced his resignation on Telegram on 7/9. "I do not want the prosecutor general's office to be used as a tool for political confrontations."

He maintained his stance against corruption allegations, reiterating his denial of involvement in money laundering schemes.

This statement contradicts Kravchenko's earlier assertion that he had no intention of resigning, amidst public speculation about an investigation into a protection ring for phone scam centers.

Ukraine's Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko in Kiev in 7/2025. Photo: AFP

On 5/9, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Ukraine's Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) announced they had dismantled a money laundering scheme "led by an official from the Prosecutor General's Office" and conducted searches there.

This scheme received money to provide protection for phone scam centers and "laundered millions of USD". Bribe money was used to purchase real estate, jewelry, and other valuable assets.

On 6/9, Kravchenko posted a statement on social media rejecting the allegations, describing them as "completely baseless" and asserting his innocence.

Meanwhile, NABU released images of a safe filled with bundles of 100 USD bills, adding that they had identified 5 members behind the money laundering scheme.

In connection with the case, NABU arrested Serhii Kropyva, deputy head of the International Cooperation Department at the Prosecutor General's Office. On 7/9, the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine ordered Kropyva's temporary detention until 2/11 with bail set at 2,7 million USD.

Kropyva was suspended from duty due to suspicion of laundering assets valued at over 2 million USD. Another suspect, Yelyzaveta Ivakhnenko, was also arrested and her bail was set at 450,000 USD.

Audio recordings released by NABU also mention an individual referred to as "the boss", who is accused of protecting this group, has the middle name Andriiovych, and previously headed the National Tax Service. These details match Kravchenko. However, NABU has not officially named Kravchenko as a suspect in the case.

At the court hearing on 6/9, a SAPO prosecutor also noted the close relationship between Kropyva and Kravchenko. Case files allege that Kropyva arranged repair costs for a villa in Kozyn, a high-end residential area south of Kiev, where Kravchenko's family lives, despite the former prosecutor general claiming he only rented the house.

Phone scams have increased sharply in both Ukraine and Russia during the over four years of conflict. According to the Switzerland-based Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), Ukrainian phone scam centers employ up to 60,000 people.