Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy faced angry crowds and a sharp rebuke by the European Commission (EC) over his decision to curb the independence of the country’s top anti-corruption bodies with Law 21414. Ukrainska Pravda reports one of the possible reasons for the controversial decision was to protect three powerful men close to the president from corruption investigations.  

On July 22, Zelenskiy signed into law legislation that stripped the autonomy of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). After a week of protest he was forced into a humiliating climbdown and on July 31 Law 31533 was voted through in a single session that reverses the previous bill and restores the anticorruption bodies indepence.

“While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has sold his controversial Law 21414 that guts Ukraine’s anti-corruption reforms as necessary to contain Russian spying and interference in Ukraine’s politics, the main job of NABU and SAPO is to investigate and prosecute corruption in the government where it has always been concentrated,” reported Ukrainska Pravda, the country’s long standing liberal opposition outlet and anti-corruption champion.

An investigation by Ukrainska Pravda, details how Zelenskiy’s inner circle became the focus of NABU probes — and how this may have triggered the clampdown on Ukraine’s anti-corruption architecture.

Oleksiy Chernyshov: A political favourite turned suspect

The confrontation between Zelenskiy’s administration and anti-corruption bodies began on June 23, when NABU charged Deputy Prime Minister and National Unity Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov with accepting bribes from the KSM Group during his tenure as minister for community and territorial development from 2020 to 2022. He was released after posting bail of UAH120mn ($2.9mn).

Chernyshov, long seen as a close confidant of Zelenskiy, had previously been the only cabinet member invited to the president’s private birthday event during pandemic restrictions. Despite the charges, he was not dismissed. Instead, two weeks later, his ministry was dissolved in a cabinet reshuffle.

“The confrontation between Zelenskiy’s office and Ukraine’s anti-corruption authorities began with the Chernyshov investigation,” Ukrainska Pravda reported. It marked the first time such a senior official had faced corruption allegations under Zelenskiy’s presidency. Following the charges, sources claimed the president’s office directed law enforcement “to do everything possible to destroy the influence of NABU and SAPO.”

Rostyslav Shurma: Power broker under scrutiny

In 2023, Deputy Chief of Staff Rostyslav Shurma became the second high-ranking figure in Zelenskiy’s inner circle to attract NABU’s attention. The bureau investigated allegations that his brother and a former aide received UAH320mn ($8.7mn at the time) in state funds for electricity generated by solar plants in Russian-occupied territories — infrastructure no longer connected to Ukraine’s grid.

Shurma remained in office for another year before resigning and relocating to Germany. His brother also left the country. But the investigation continued. On July 15, 2025, Shurma reportedly called a senior official in Zelenskiy’s administration to say that NABU and local police had searched his German residence.

The raid, according to Ukrainska Pravda sources in the Verkhovna Rada, was seen as “a final straw” by Zelenskiy — a moment that underscored the escalating risk of an international scandal involving his closest advisers.

Tymur Mindich: Behind-the-scenes influence

Another “final straw” may have come from NABU’s increasing interest in Tymur Mindich, co-owner of Kvartal 95 — the production company where Zelenskiy made his name — and a long-time personal friend. Though he holds no official post, Mindich is believed to wield considerable influence over policy decisions.

In May, the investigative project Bihus alleged that companies indirectly tied to Mindich had overcharged on military construction contracts. In June, NABU arrested his cousin in connection with theft at the electricity firm Kharkivoblenergo. According to Ukrainska Pravda, “Mindich’s name has come up increasingly often in the context of drone manufacturing,” though Meduza was unable to independently verify this.

A source told Ukrainska Pravda that on the day NABU and SAPO were raided, the agency had planned to name Mindich as a suspect — information Zelenskiy’s office allegedly discovered and acted upon. Mindich has since left Ukraine and is currently residing in Austria, according to Censor.net.