The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), working with the Office of the Prosecutor General, has accused Ruslan Mahamedrasulov, a senior official of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), for conducting business activities in the Russian Federation.
NABU is Kyiv’s main law enforcement agency responsible for investigating high-level corruption in Ukraine.
According to the investigation, Mahamedrasulov, who is based in the city of Dnipro and oversees NABU operations in front-line regions, including the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, maintained contact with representatives from Moscow while allegedly helping his father to engage in illegal trade with Russia.
“He acted as an intermediary in the sale of batches of industrial hemp grown by his father to the Russian Federation, specifically to the Republic of Dagestan,” the SBU press service reported on Monday, July 21.
Hemp is a type of marijuana that contains a lower amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is the chemical that’s primarily responsible for the “high” associated with cannabis use.
The SBU said that “Investigators are also verifying information regarding Mahamedrasulov’s possible contacts with Russian intelligence services and the alleged transfer of classified information, including details of planned investigative actions.”
The investigation further revealed that he maintained close contact with former Ukrainian MP Fedir Khrystenko – a member of the now-banned opposition “For Life (OPZZh) Party – who fled the country and who is also reportedly cooperating with Russian intelligence services and trying to influence NABU activities.
The investigation also revealed troubling details about the suspect’s family ties. Ruslan Mahamedrasulov’s father, Sentyabr Mahamedrasulov, is a Russian citizen – a fact he failed to disclose when applying for clearance to access state secrets – a direct violation of Ukrainian law.
Meanwhile, his mother, Iryna Mahamedrasulova, officially lives in Kyiv but receives a pension from the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic” – the Russian-occupied territory in eastern Ukraine.
Despite residing in government-controlled territory, she actively shares pro-Russian content on social media, including posts in groups marked with the Kremlin’s pro-war Z-symbol. According to the SBU, intercepted telephone conversations indicate that she openly supports Putin’s war against Ukraine and defends Russian war crimes.
“Despite being officially assigned to Dnipro as a regional head of NABU detectives responsible for work in front-line areas, Ruslan Mahamedrasulov spent most of his time in Kyiv,” the SBU added.
“He also recently returned from an extended luxury vacation on the island of Tenerife, [one of Spain’s Canary Islands] where he stayed for several weeks.”
Ukrainian authorities are currently preparing formal charges against the senior official of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) under Article 111-2 of the Criminal Code — “aiding the aggressor state.”
Comprehensive investigative measures are underway to establish all the circumstances of the alleged crime and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
The case is being overseen by the Office of the Prosecutor General, which is leading the procedural guidance in the investigation.