From road construction to courts: NABU’s top cases for 2025
25 July 2025 21:39
INFOGRAPHICS
In 2025, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office filed indictments against 154 people. This is reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to an infographic by the visual communications agency Top Lead.
This is the highest figure that NABU has achieved in one half of the year since 2021.
In 2021, NABU detectives filed indictments against 129 people. In 2022, there were 117 such acts. In the second year of Russia’s full-scale war with Ukraine, the number of indictments reached a record 233. And in 2024, there were already 243.
However, it is important to note that the number of convictions that have entered into force remains lower than the number of acts. In 2021, the SAPO, which oversees investigations and presents prosecutions in court, reported 32 cases in which a court verdict entered into force. In 2022, the number was 36. The following year, the prosecution succeeded in obtaining a guilty verdict against corruption suspects in 64 cases. In 2024, the number of such cases reached 90.
This trend points to problems in the judicial system, including delays in trials and possible pressure on judges.
What is known about the high-profile cases handled by the NABU and the SAPO
The NABU actively investigates corruption crimes in various areas. Among them:
- the case of road construction in Dnipropetrovska oblast. The case involves embezzlement of funds intended for infrastructure projects;
- cases of bribery in courts. Officials and judges received undue benefits for making the right decisions;
- a case of embezzlement during the procurement of dynamic protection for armored vehicles.
- a case of extortion of undue advantage by a deputy minister.
It should be noted that despite the positive dynamics, anti-corruption agencies face a number of problems. First, they face insufficient resources and pressure from influential persons. Secondly, the judicial system remains a weak link, which slows down the process of bringing cases to a logical conclusion.
Experts dealing with the effectiveness of anti-corruption agencies in Ukraine note that for the NABU and the SAPO to continue to function properly, it is necessary to:
- strengthen the independence of the courts. Without this, even the highest quality investigations will not yield results;
- ensure funding and protection of NABU and SAPO employees;
- increase transparency of public procurement. After all, corruption schemes are linked to this area.
Read also: The law on NABU and SAPO will be challenged in the CCU: MPs initiate a motion
Why and how the NABU and the SAPO were created: history of formation and key stages of development
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) was founded on April 16, 2015, based on the Law of Ukraine “On the National Anti-Corruption Bureau”, which was adopted on October 8, 2014. The establishment of the agency was one of the requirements of the EU and the IMF for providing Ukraine with financial assistance and visa liberalization.
After the Revolution of Dignity (2014), the Ukrainian authorities were forced to launch anti-corruption reforms under pressure from civil society and international partners. Until 2015, investigations of corruption among officials were conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Security Service of Ukraine, but due to their lack of independence, these agencies often “ordered” cases. The NABU was created as a specialized body with broad powers that was supposed to work without political influence.
How the bureaucratic apparatus of the agency was formed:
- 2015 – 2016– Artem Sytnyk became the first director of the NABU, elected following a competition with the participation of international experts;
- 2017 – the NABU received full access to state registers and the right to conduct covert investigations (e.g., to film bribes on hidden cameras);
- 2018 – the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) was established to work in concert with the NABU.
Already in 2016-2017, NABU detectives uncovered a number of corruption schemes. These included the case of former MP Mykola Martynenko (who laundered $4.5 million), a case of bribes at the State Fiscal Service, a case of embezzlement at Ukroboronprom, and more.
Despite certain successes, the NABU faced pressure from politicians (attempts to dismiss Sytnyk because of “inconvenient” investigations), insufficient support from the courts (many cases are considered for a long time or are closed altogether), and conflicts with the Prosecutor General’s Office over competition.
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