The key facts

  • The SBU dismissed two senior officials; service head Oleksandr Poklad promised cooperation with the investigation
  • NABU and SAPO claim a network of at least a dozen people — SBU, police and Prosecutor General's Office employees
  • In September, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko was dismissed in connection with the same case (Operation Carthage)

Dismissals at the SBU and the essence of the case

Ukraine's Security Service dismissed two senior officials on Wednesday amid an investigation into an alleged criminal network that, according to anti-corruption agencies, includes law enforcement officers who shielded illegal business. Anadolu reports this citing statements by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO).

What the organization is accused of

NABU and SAPO said that during an investigation codenamed Operation Carthage they uncovered an organization of at least a dozen people. According to their version, the alleged organizer, previously convicted multiple times, recruited employees of the SBU, the National Police and the Prosecutor General's Office, as well as people from criminal circles. Under the protection of law enforcement officers, the group, NABU claims, ran fraudulent call centers that deceived both Ukrainian citizens and foreigners, drug trafficking, and underground production of counterfeit cigarettes and fake foreign currency. SAPO additionally asserts that members of the organization carried out assaults, abductions and beatings for the benefit of the group.

Reaction of the agencies

SBU head Vasyl Maliuk's counterpart, SBU chief Oleksandr Poklad, confirmed the dismissal of two senior officers and stated: 'The Security Service expects a transparent, objective and impartial investigation. I discussed this, among other things, with the heads of NABU and SAPO. There is clear and constructive cooperation.' He added that the agency is coordinating with the intelligence services of partner countries so that the investigation extends to other jurisdictions. The National Police said the officers involved have been temporarily suspended from duty and urged the public to 'refrain from premature conclusions' until the investigation is completed.

Connection to the prosecutor general's case

The dismissals are a continuation of an investigation within which Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko was dismissed in September. At the time, anti-corruption investigators claimed there was an organization allegedly headed by the head of a department of the Prosecutor General's Office; group members are suspected of taking bribes from fraudulent call centers in exchange for being allowed to operate unhindered. The fight against corruption remains a key condition for Ukraine's accession to the EU; accession talks with Kyiv have been formally open since June 2024.