In Pictures: Protest Erupts in Wartime Kyiv Over Anti-Graft Rollback

Thousands of protesters rallied outside the Ivan Franko Theater near the presidential complex on Tuesday, defying a same-day parliamentary decision to strip the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) of their independence – effectively placing both agencies under presidential control.

A woman holds a sign reading, “I can see it all, now try to shut me up," in response to Bill 12414, which was rushed through parliament on Tuesday in just hours by inserting unrelated clauses into an existing bill – allowing it to bypass a first reading.

In response, protestors began gathering outside the presidential complex, near the Ivan Franko theater, at around 8 p.m. 

By sundown, an estimated 2,000-3,000 people had gathered in protest – making it one of the largest demonstrations in the capital since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Protesters used a projector to beam a slogan against the law onto the walls of a government building.

A male protester holding a placard reading “It’s already happened” – a phrase made famous by former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma – often used sarcastically by locals. Some critics have likened Tuesday's developments to the reform rollback that triggered Euromaidan in 2014. 

A male protester holds a placard reading “How are we better than the Russians?” beside a woman with a sign that says “Bill 12414 – full-throttle jump into the abyss,” as the protest grows. 

A male protester holds a placard that says "Support corruption? Go f**k yourself," during the protest. As the midnight curfew approached, some protesters went home, but more came in their place as night fell on the war-torn capital. 

A protester holds a placard that says simply "Veto 12414."