Ukraine backlash grows after Zelensky strips anti-corruption bodies of independence
President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a controversial law in July 2025 that limits the independence of two key Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies: the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). This law effectively places these agencies under the supervision of the Prosecutor General’s office, stripping them of autonomy by giving the Prosecutor General authority to access all cases, issue mandatory instructions to detectives, close investigations, and reassign cases. Zelensky defended the move as necessary to eliminate so-called “Russian influence” within these bodies and to ensure greater accountability and effectiveness in corruption cases that had remained unresolved for years.
The decision has triggered widespread backlash across Ukraine, leading to large protests in Kyiv and multiple other cities. Thousands gathered to demonstrate, with slogans defending the independence of the anti-corruption bodies and opposing Zelensky’s action. The protests represent the first major anti-government demonstrations in Ukraine since the full-scale Russian invasion three years prior. Critics — including activists, opposition politicians, and the European Union — see the law as a serious step backwards in Ukraine’s fight against corruption and a potential effort to silence independent investigations, possibly protecting Zelensky’s inner circle from scrutiny.
The anti-corruption agencies released a joint statement expressing that they had lost the protections essential to combat high-level graft effectively, urging the government to reconsider the law. Key domestic figures, including some within Zelensky’s own party, and international allies have openly criticized the legislation. Zelensky has acknowledged public concerns and stated his intention to propose a bill to parliament aimed at restoring and strengthening the agencies’ independence while maintaining oversight to rooting out corruption and foreign interference.
The backlash to Zelensky’s stripping of independence from Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies is significant and multifaceted, encompassing domestic protests, political dissent, and international condemnation amid a critical period of war and reform struggles.
