The National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office have completed a large-scale investigation codenamed "Carthage". According to the investigation, an organized group operated across Ukraine, systematically providing undue benefits to incumbent law enforcement officials from the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Police, and the Prosecutor General's Office. In return, members of the group guaranteed owners of fraudulent call centers and other illegal businesses protection from criminal prosecution and the blocking of investigations. According to NABU information, representatives of the criminal underworld also participated in the operation.

What is Operation "Carthage"

"Carthage", as NABU explained, is a special operation against an organization that ran a protection racket for a network of illegal call centers throughout Ukraine. The scheme was built on monthly payments: owners of fraudulent structures contributed money and in exchange received a guarantee that criminal proceedings would not be initiated against their business and that ongoing investigations would be blocked. According to the investigators, it was precisely this mechanism that allowed call centers to operate unhindered for a long time.

Who Led the Group

The investigation considers Serhiy Kropyva, a former official of the Prosecutor General's Office, to be the organizer of the criminal group. The leader of the structure, according to NABU, turned out to be one of the heads of departments at the Prosecutor General's Office. The list of defendants also includes Serhiy Kutsyi, who, according to NABU and SAPO, is Kropyva's driver and participated in the group's activities from October 2025 to September 2026. He was later released from custody on bail of 3 million UAH.

Amounts and Court Decisions

On October 22, NABU served a notice of suspicion to Ivan Tymoshenko, former head of a department at the Prosecutor General's Office. According to the investigation, he was the one responsible for liaising with illegal call centers, and the amount of documented undue benefits in the case exceeds 1 billion UAH. On the same day, the High Anti-Corruption Court chose a preventive measure for Tymoshenko in the form of detention with the possibility of posting bail of 8 million UAH. At the same time, SAPO requested bail of 100 million UAH, while the defense requested 2 million UAH.

Political Consequences: Kravchenko's Resignation

The "Carthage" case resulted in a personnel crisis in the Prosecutor General's Office. Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko publicly stated that he did not intend to cling to his position and would resign if asked by the president or the Verkhovna Rada; according to him, seven employees of the Office were suspended due to the case. Subsequently, Kravchenko signed a notice of suspicion against NABU Director Semen Kryvonos, and parliament supported his dismissal. On September 17, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy entrusted the duties of the Prosecutor General to Anton Kovalskyi, head of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Prosecutor's Office, who in his first statement promised to complete official and personnel procedures regarding prosecution employees initiated in connection with Operation "Carthage" audio recordings.

Chronology and Context

The first public comments on the case appeared on September 7, the day after scandalous audio recordings were published. On September 14, NABU Director Semen Kryvonos and the head of SAPO held a briefing revealing additional details of the case, including the issue of SBU involvement. As of November 4, 2026, the investigation is ongoing, and the personnel consequences of Operation "Carthage" continue to shape the configuration of Ukraine's law enforcement vertical.