"He has lost his mind": Zelensky's circle calls Kravchenko's initiative on suspicion against Krivonos an act of overreach

Those close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have commented on the initiative by Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko to serve a formal suspicion against the Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), Semen Krivonos, as well as a person close to the head of the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP), Aleksandr Klymenko. According to information obtained by RBC-Ukraine from several sources in the president's inner circle, this initiative is the personal overreach of the Prosecutor General and was not coordinated with the President's Office.

Reaction from the president's inner circle

As sources close to Volodymyr Zelensky assured the publication, the decision to prepare suspicion documents against Krivonos and the person linked to Klymenko was not discussed at the level of the President's Office. One of RBC-Ukraine's interlocutors, commenting on the Prosecutor General's actions, stated: "He has lost his mind. Maybe he got scared." Other sources in close contact with the head of state also insist on the version that Kravchenko's initiative was not backed by a coordinated presidential will and was undertaken by him on his own.

Context: Operation "Midus" and detentions at NABU

The Prosecutor General's initiative fits into a broader context of tension around the anti-corruption bodies. Earlier, NABU Director Semen Krivonos publicly described how Operation "Midus" began, indicating an active investigation within the bureau's system. In parallel, Prosecutor General Kravchenko explained the reasons why NABU detective Magamedrasulov and his father had been held in custody, which points to a series of detentions within the anti-corruption body. Against this backdrop, the attempt to serve a suspicion on the NABU Director himself is perceived as a sharp escalation of the conflict within the law-enforcement vertical.

Contradictory data

There is a discrepancy in assessments of the legitimacy of the Prosecutor General's actions. On the one hand, formally Ruslan Kravchenko holds the position of Prosecutor General and acts within the scope of his powers, which allows him to initiate procedural decisions. On the other hand, sources in the President's Office directly state that the initiative was not coordinated with them and is an act of "overreach," and the emotional reaction ("he has lost his mind") indicates that the presidential circle did not expect such steps. Additionally, statements from a former prosecutor have been made in the public domain that Krivonos "would never have become NABU Director without external interference," which adds controversy to the question of the legitimacy of both his appointment and the subsequent procedural decisions against him. Thus, both sides — the Prosecutor General's Office and the President's Office — present the events differently, and there is no independent public document, available openly, recording the coordination or lack thereof of the initiative.

Outcomes and prospects

The situation demonstrates a deep disagreement between key figures in the law-enforcement vertical and the presidential circle. If the version that Kravchenko's initiative was uncoordinated is confirmed, this could become grounds for reviewing his powers or, conversely, for a public defense of his position. For NABU Director Krivonos and SAP head Klymenko, such steps mean direct pressure on the leadership of the anti-corruption bodies in the midst of active investigations. The further dynamics will depend on whether the President's Office can publicly confirm or refute the statements of its sources.