Hundreds of Ukrainians continued to gather in anti-corruption protests in Kyiv on Wednesday evening, marking a week of demonstrations despite stormy weather and a pledge from President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this week to restore the independence of the country’s top anti-graft organizations.
The pouring rain did not stop protesters from carrying handmade signs waving alongside their umbrellas, bearing messages like “Corruption kills” and “Ukraine is not a Banana Republic.”
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Thousands of people took to the streets last week in the largest show of public protest since Russia launched its full-scale invasion over three years ago after Zelensky signed Bill 12414 on July 23, placing both the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) agencies under the authority of the Prosecutor General, effectively ending their ability to conduct independent investigations into corruption.
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The backlash was swift. Although some lawmakers argued that the move was necessary due to concerns that the agencies could be infiltrated or influenced by Russian interests, critics said it was an attack on the country’s strongest organizations for transparency in governance – and important to Ukraine’s international allies.
“I saw the news that parliament was about to vote on a law that would undermine the independence of the anti-corruption system,” 23-year-old Zinaida Averina, an organizer of the demonstration, told Kyiv Post. “I realized something had to be done.”
She said the situation reminded her of the 2014 Maidan revolution, when she was just in sixth grade.
“Then I watched a press conference by the head of NABU, and it became clear that something was seriously wrong – it felt like a red line had been crossed, a signal that our government was sliding toward autocracy,” she said. “Yes, that might sound like a strong word, but I’ll say it anyway.”
In response to mounting domestic and international criticism, Zelensky has proposed a new draft law aimed at restoring the agencies’ independence. His version includes a requirement for polygraph tests for anti-corruption officials who have relatives in Russia.
“And today we discussed it with representatives of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, with our government officials,” Zelensky said on Tuesday night. “The outcome must be guaranteed.”
The Ukrainian parliament is expected to consider not only the president’s proposal but also several alternative drafts submitted by other lawmakers on Thursday, July 31.
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