Zelensky Appoints Anton Kovalskyi as Acting Prosecutor General

KYIV, September 17 — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Anton Kovalskyi as acting prosecutor general, according to a presidential decree issued Thursday, filling the vacuum created by the dismissal of former prosecutor Ruslan Kravchenko at the height of an anti-corruption scandal.

Kovalskyi, 42, has headed the regional prosecutor’s office in the Khmelnytskyi region since July 2025. His appointment comes days after Zelensky dismissed Kravchenko by decree, while the Ukrainian parliament approved the dismissal by vote on Tuesday.

Kravchenko’s removal came last week, after an anti-corruption investigation reached his office. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) claimed that a subordinate of Kravchenko had organized a network to cover up call centers that defrauded Ukrainians and foreigners.

Kravchenko has denied any involvement in the scheme and has not been charged with any crime. However, on Monday, in an unexpected turn, he publicly accused NABU chief Semen Kryvonos of document forgery and a false child adoption in 2009, saying the agencies’ investigation aimed to stop investigations into themselves.

NABU and SAPO have dismissed these claims as unfounded. The appointment of a new acting prosecutor is seen as the presidency’s attempt to restore confidence in the justice system, at a time when Ukraine faces the pressure of war and the demands of Western partners for anti-corruption reforms.

Source: Reuters