Ukraine President's Office Chief Demands Swift Action After Police Corruption Search

Five members of a criminal organization were served with formal notices of suspicion by Ukrainian anti-corruption detectives. The legal action followed a series of searches conducted on Nov. 4 that targeted representatives from the Security Service of Ukraine and the national police.

These moves are part of Operation Carthage, a probe into alleged bribery at senior levels of law enforcement. Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, reacted to the developments by calling for immediate steps.

Budanov stated on social media that the situation requires prompt and decisive action. He emphasized that the law applies equally to everyone, regardless of their rank or power. "Positions, ranks and powers cannot be grounds for avoiding accountability," he wrote.

He added that corruption and other crimes must be assessed under the law, with those responsible held accountable. Despite this strong language, Budanov did not specify exactly what measures he expected or what form that decisive action should take.

The only details he provided were that he expected an objective and independent investigation. He also said he looked forward to fair decisions in the case. His comments came one day after the news broke that searches had been carried out against senior security figures.

National Anti-Corruption Bureau detectives, supervised by the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, identified the group's structure. They accused the organization of creating a system where bribes were paid to senior officials to protect illegal businesses.

Pre-trial investigation materials name Andrii Osipov as the organizer. He is a former convict who allegedly recruited serving officials from the Security Service, the Prosecutor General's Office, and the National Police. The network also included figures from the criminal underworld.

According to investigators, this protection allowed fraudulent call centers to operate freely. These centers targeted both Ukrainian citizens and foreigners. The group also engaged in drug trafficking, manufacturing counterfeit cigarettes, and producing fake foreign currency.

Members of the organization are also suspected of committing assaults, abductions, and inflicting bodily harm to further the group's interests. The investigation details how these violent acts supported the broader illegal operations.