Ukraine’s NABU and SAPO say a criminal organisation headed by a Prosecutor General’s Office official protected fraudulent call centres and laundered proceeds; one official has been detained while the prosecutor general’s office denies searches at his premises and promises cooperation.
Major anti-corruption operation targets prosecutor’s office
Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) announced on 4 September that they were conducting a “special operation to expose a criminal organization headed by an official of the Prosecutor General’s Office” involved in
“providing protection for a network of fraudulent call centres and laundering assets”,
according to a joint statement cited by Interfax-Ukraine and Meduza. The agencies did not initially name the alleged leader or detail which premises were searched, but said the operation was ongoing.
As reported by Ben Aris of bne IntelliNews, the investigation marks a significant escalation because it is aimed at the top of the prosecution service, coming after NABU has already charged other senior figures in President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s administration, including former deputy chief of staff Iryna Mudra and then chief of staff Andriy Yermak.
Detention of senior prosecutor’s office official
Multiple Ukrainian outlets, citing law enforcement and business sources, identified the detained official as Serhii Kropyva, though they differed on his exact title. Ukrainska Pravda reported that NABU had detained Serhii Kropyva, deputy head of the international legal cooperation department at the Prosecutor General’s Office, who previously served as deputy head of the Odesa regional administration under Oleh Kiper with responsibility for digital development. NV and other outlets described Kropyva as head of the cyber department or cybersecurity department at the Prosecutor General’s Office.
As reported by a law enforcement source to the Kyiv Independent, NABU detained Serhiy Kropyva, a deputy head of the international cooperation department at the Prosecutor General’s Office, in connection with the case. Censor.net and other Ukrainian media similarly said NABU and SAPO had detained Serhii Kropyva, described as head of the cyber department of the Prosecutor General’s Office.
NV’s English service, reporting on “Operation Carthage”, said investigators alleged the Prosecutor General’s Office official created and headed the criminal organisation in mid-2025, setting up a system to receive regular bribes in exchange for allowing fraudulent call centres targeting Ukrainians and foreigners to operate without interference. The proceeds were allegedly laundered through property purchases, third‑party ownership schemes and bank accounts belonging to associates, with more than 20 million hryvnias (about $450,000) spent on real estate, jewellery and other valuable movable property, NV reported.
NABU said it had identified five people in the case under Article 255 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code (creation and leadership of, or participation in, a criminal organisation) and Article 209 (money laundering), carrying potential sentences of up to 15 years in prison if convicted, according to NV. The Kyiv Independent reported that five alleged members of the organisation had so far been identified.
Reports of searches at top officials’ premises
Alongside the detention, several outlets cited sources saying searches were carried out at premises linked to very senior officials. As reported by Ukrainska Pravda’s sources, searches were under way at premises belonging to Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, his deputy Mariia Vdovychenko and Oleh Kiper, now head of the Odesa Oblast Military Administration. The Kyiv Independent similarly reported, citing Ukrainska Pravda, that NABU searched the offices of Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, his deputy Maria Vdovychenko and Oleh Kiper, governor of Odesa Oblast.
The Prosecutor General’s Office denied part of these reports. As reported by Mariana Haiovska, a spokesperson for the Prosecutor General’s Office, to Ukrainska Pravda, investigators had conducted no searches at Kravchenko’s home or in his office. No comparable denial was issued about Vdovychenko or Kiper, the Kyiv Post noted, as cited by bne IntelliNews.
Prosecutor general’s office response and suspension pledge
The Prosecutor General’s Office issued a formal response saying it would cooperate fully with the anti-corruption authorities and provide all necessary information in accordance with the law, as quoted by multiple outlets including NV, the Kyiv Independent and Sud.ua. The office said the circumstances surrounding the possible involvement of one of its employees in illegal activity connected to fraudulent call centres must be established by investigators and receive an objective legal assessment, according to its statement cited by NV and Euromaidan Press.
As reported by the Prosecutor General’s Office to Ukrainska Pravda and Sud.ua, the employee whose possible involvement in illegal activity is under investigation would be suspended from his duties for the duration of the pre‑trial investigation. The office also highlighted its broader record against scam operations, saying authorities had carried out more than 1,050 searches over the past 12 months, shut down around 340 fraudulent call centres comprising more than 5,000 operator positions, and were investigating 147 criminal proceedings related to this activity, according to a statement cited by Euromaidan Press and Sud.ua.
Alleged bribery and money‑laundering scheme
Investigators allege the group received systematic bribes in exchange for allowing fraudulent call centres to operate without interference, according to NABU’s account as summarised by the Kyiv Independent. The call centres targeted both Ukrainian citizens and foreigners, investigators said, and operating such centres is one of the most profitable forms of criminal activity in Ukraine, NABU stated, as reported by the Kyiv Independent.
As reported by NV, the proceeds were laundered through a series of schemes, with more than 20 million hryvnias spent on real estate, jewellery and other valuable movable property. The Kyiv Independent added that the proceeds were allegedly laundered through property purchases, third‑party ownership schemes, and bank accounts belonging to associates.
Wider crackdown on fraudulent call centres
The operation comes amid a broader government push against scam call centres. In August, police, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the prosecutor’s office carried out an operation against fraudulent call centres in various regions of Ukraine, uncovering 94 centres, seizing more than $2 million and eliminating 1,794 operator jobs, according to LIGA.net and UA.News. Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko reported that officers conducted over 400 searches, shut down 94 call centres and uncovered 1,794 workspaces set up for fraudsters, seizing thousands of devices, SIM cards, bank cards and crypto wallets, UA.News reported.
On 2 September, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted two bills to the Verkhovna Rada intended to increase accountability for the operation of fraudulent call centres and tighten rules around “drop” schemes involving bank cards and accounts, as noted by LIGA.net and NV. The presidential office announced a new phase in the fight against fraudulent call centres, with prosecutors and law enforcement inspecting hundreds of addresses and identifying numerous financial instruments linked to criminal activity, according to UA.News.
Separate local investigations continue. In Mykolaiv, police exposed a fraudulent call centre that swindled people under the guise of crypto investments, renting an apartment as an office for seven operators and seizing phones and laptops, Korabelov.info reported. In Dnipro, law enforcement shut down fraudulent call centres whose employees posed as representatives of banks, mobile carriers and law enforcement agencies, under the guidance of regional prosecutors, UA.News reported.
Background on officials mentioned in reports
Mariia Vdovychenko, the prosecutor general’s deputy mentioned in search reports, has been the subject of previous allegations. As reported by the Kyiv Independent, the Anti-Corruption Action Centre said in a 2025 investigation that a brother of hers works as a military prosecutor in Russia, her father has a business in Russian‑occupied Crimea and other relatives hold Russian passports. These claims have not been adjudicated in court and were cited by the watchdog, not by law enforcement in the current case.
Oleh Kiper, named in search reports, previously served as a senior prosecutor and regional official before becoming head of the Odesa Oblast Military Administration, according to multiple Ukrainian media accounts cited by bne IntelliNews and NV. Serhii Kropyva, the detained official, previously served as deputy head of the Odesa regional administration under Kiper with responsibility for digital development before moving to the Prosecutor General’s Office, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
Legal framework and potential penalties
NABU said it had identified five people in the case under Article 255 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, covering the creation and leadership of a criminal organisation and participation in one, and Article 209, covering the laundering of assets, according to NV. If convicted, they face up to 15 years in prison, NV reported. The Prosecutor General’s Office said 147 criminal proceedings related to fraudulent call centre activity are under investigation, more than 183 persons have been notified of suspicion, and indictments have been sent to court for 93 people, according to its statement cited by Sud.ua.
