Inside Ukraine's anti-corruption system: officials, European partners and businesspeople share insights
Kyiv has hosted an international conference, Movement Through Resistance: How the Anti-Corruption System Works, marking ten years of Ukraine's anti-corruption infrastructure.
The event was opened by Sevgil Musaieva, editor-in-chief of Ukrainska Pravda.
"It is extremely symbolic that the conference is being held on the Day of Defenders of Ukraine. Thank you for your protection! It's thanks to Ukrainian soldiers that we have been able to gather at this event in Kyiv today," she said.
The conference participants honoured the fallen service members with a minute of silence.
The opening remarks were delivered by Dmytro Koziatynskyi, a veteran of the Russo-Ukrainian war and initiator of the protests against attempts to strip the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) of their independence.
Koziatynskyi said he is proud of Ukrainians who, even in wartime, continue to defend democratic values and Ukraine's path towards a European future.
"The July protests showed that a huge number of people are ready to take to the streets for justice and for an idea. This inspired me, impressed me, and proved that we are not doing all this in vain. And those three years that I spent on the front line were not in vain, because our society is tough and ready to fight for a bright future for Ukraine," the veteran stressed.
The next speaker, Asier Santillán, is head of the European Integration, Governance, Rule of Law and Civil Society section of the EU Delegation to Ukraine.
He stated that NABU, SAPO and the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) are crucial for European integration, and emphasised that they must continue to be developed. Santillán said he is concerned about the recent attack on anti-corruption institutions, and also noted the role of Ukrainian society in restoring the independence of NABU and SAPO.
The first panel discussion was entitled From establishment to effectiveness: the first decade of anti-corruption infrastructure.
The panel members were Vira Mykhailenko, head of the High Anti-Corruption Court, Oleksandr Klymenko, head of SAPO, NABU's first director Artem Sytnyk, lawyer Andrii Sliusar and Oleksandr Tsyvinskyi, director of the Bureau of Economic Security (BES). The discussion was moderated by Sevgil Musaieva.
The discussion was held in the format of UP.Chat. For those unfamiliar with UP. Chat, this is a video project by Ukrainska Pravda in which journalists and guests review the most important events of each week.
Conference participants discussed the most significant developments over the ten years since Ukraine established its anti-corruption bodies. HACC head Vira Mykhailenko highlighted that the main achievement has been "a breakthrough in public consciousness". She noted that Ukrainians no longer tolerate forms of corruption and have changed their attitudes towards both the state and public service.
The attendees also discussed the mistakes made and challenges faced within the anti-corruption infrastructure, particularly the unprecedented pressure on NABU and SAPO during the summer of 2025.
SAPO head Oleksandr Klymenko stressed that there is no demand or political will from the authorities to tackle top-level corruption in the country. He said that as a result, legislative initiatives introducing anti-corruption mechanisms are only adopted under "certain ultimatums" from international partners.
Klymenko noted that not once has there been an initiative from parliament, the president or the government to intensify the fight against top-level corruption in the country.
An informative fireside chat, If it's about you and us, then it's about everyone: an open conversation about NABU, brought together Mykhailo Tkach, head of the investigative journalism department at Ukrainska Pravda, and NABU director Semen Kryvonos.
Tkach asked about the pressure on anti-corruption institutions and specific cases involving Timur Mindich, Oleksii Chernyshov, Rostyslav Shurma, Dmytro Komarnytskyi, Petro Poroshenko and Oleh Hladkovskyi. Kryvonos's responses were largely limited to "I cannot breach the confidentiality of the pre-trial investigation" or "I can neither confirm nor deny this."
Kryvonos stated, however, that Chernyshov is in Ukraine and is not evading the investigation. He also reported that potential losses from procurement and abuses in the defence sector have reached around UAH 12.5 billion (approximately US$302 million).
Politician Mustafa Nayyem moderated the next session, which featured David Jackson, Principal Advisor to the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, and Robert Westbrooks, Chair of NABU's External Audit Commission.
The discussion focused on international views of Ukraine's anti-corruption system. Westbrooks highlighted that NABU is rated "moderately effective" based on the findings of an audit.
Westbrooks added that the Bureau's detectives investigate a large number of important and complex cases, but emphasised that there is room for improvement, particularly through strategic planning.
The second panel discussion was titled What Do We Want from the Fight Against Corruption?
The speakers were Anna Babinets, founder of the investigative project Slidstvo.info; Allan Pagh Kristensen, Head of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative in Ukraine (EUACI); Vsevolod Kozhemiako, founder of the Khartiia Brigade; Tomas Fiala, founder of the Dragon Capital investment company; and Anastasiia Radina, Chair of the Ukrainian Parliamentary Anti-Corruption Committee. The panel was moderated by Transparency International's Executive Director, Andrii Borovyk.
During the discussion, the participants covered a wide range of topics, from progress in fighting corruption over the last decade to doing business in Ukraine amid the activity of anti-corruption institutions.
Allan Pagh Kristensen emphasised that Ukraine's progress should not be measured solely by the number of convictions or individual cases.
"The EU pays close attention to the work of independent anti-corruption agencies. Fighting corruption is not only about the number of convictions, but about achieving progress across a broad set of necessary reforms. The European Commission also adopts a systemic approach in its annual enlargement reports."
He noted the key role of independent anti-corruption institutions in building trust and ensuring sustainable reforms, highlighting the importance of Ukrainian society and international partners in restoring NABU and SAPO's independence in July.
Tomas Fiala, Ukrainska Pravda's current owner, recalled annual surveys by the European Business Association that ask foreign investors what prevents them from investing in Ukraine. He noted that in the first 25 years of independence, Ukraine attracted only US$50 billion in foreign investment – four times less than Poland.
"Since 2014, the situation has changed dramatically. Anti-corruption infrastructure has been built in Ukraine. Our company, together with co-investors, invested over US$700 million in new projects from 2016 to 2021. The main reason investors feel comfortable here is the creation of anti-corruption infrastructure. Investors view this positively," Fiala said.
Each year, the top concerns cited were the lack of the rule of law and corruption, the businessman added.
Fiala pointed out that Ukraine's development of anti-corruption institutions since 2014 has led to a dramatic change in the situation.
"Our company, together with co-investors, invested over US$700 million in new projects from 2016 to 2021. The main reason investors feel comfortable here is the creation of anti-corruption infrastructure. Investors view this positively," Fiala said.
The speakers also discussed the vote on the law that undermined NABU and SAPO independence.
MP Anastasiia Radina emphasised: "The unpleasant truth: the President's Office did not ask me on 22 July to go to the podium and oppose the bill that stripped NABU and SAPO of their independence. There is always room for parliamentary initiative, and it is always a personal choice."
On 21 July, the Security Service of Ukraine and the Prosecutor General's Office carried out a series of searches at the National Anti-Corruption Bureau.
The following day, the Ukrainian parliament passed Law No. 12414 amending the Code of Criminal Procedure, which made NABU and SAPO dependent on the decisions of the Prosecutor General. Later that evening, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the law.
In the days following the passage of this legislation, protests took place across many cities in Ukraine. In response to public opposition and concerns from international partners, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted a bill to the Verkhovna Rada which he said aimed to "strengthen the rule of law" while preserving "all provisions for the independence of anti-corruption institutions".
The conference was organised with support from the European Union Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) – a leading EU-funded anti-corruption programme, co-financed and implemented by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Author: Ukrainska Pravda