Ukraine’s Security Service confirms anti-corruption raids on senior officers

A dispute over a blocked search has erupted between Ukraine’s top spy agency and its anti-corruption rivals. The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) confirmed on 4 November that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) were conducting searches involving its employees. The two independent agencies alleged that a senior SSU official threatened to use a firearm to stop detectives from entering a premises.

The conflict centers on investigative actions taken that morning. NABU and SAPO stated that their detectives were acting under a warrant issued by a judge of the High Anti-Corruption Court. The agencies reported that a senior official prevented them from carrying out the planned investigative steps. Ukrainska Pravda identified the official as General Serhii Duka. The SSU’s official response did not address the reported threat or the obstruction.

The timeline of the events began with the issuance of court orders for the criminal proceedings. Investigators from NABU and SAPO moved to execute these orders at specific locations. During the process, a confrontation occurred at one site. The SSU confirmed the existence of the searches in a statement from its press service. It said the agency was supporting an objective and impartial investigation into the matters covered by the criminal cases.

Sources told Ukrainska Pravda that the raids involved Anton Kravchuk, who heads the SSU’s Main Internal Security Directorate. The reporting also identified Oleksandr Kovalchuk, who serves as First Deputy Head of Directorate D within the SSU’s Department for the Protection of National Statehood. The SSU press service referred broadly to employees in its confirmation but did not name these specific individuals in its public statement.

The investigation may be connected to the activities of Andrii Osipov, a figure previously detained by NABU and SAPO. Sources described the link between the current searches and Osipov as a possibility. Osipov is known by the nickname “Criminal.” The SSU statement confirmed its cooperation with the investigative authorities but did not address the potential connection reported by the news outlet.

The SSU said the investigative actions were being conducted under relevant court orders. The agency maintained that it was cooperating with the investigators. NABU and SAPO said the searches formed part of several distinct criminal proceedings. The two agencies emphasized that their detectives were acting lawfully under the mandate of the High Anti-Corruption Court. The SSU did not contest the legality of the warrants in its initial response.

The next step in the process involves the completion of the investigative actions at the searched premises. The SSU has committed to continuing its cooperation with NABU and SAPO. The agencies will review the evidence collected during the morning raids. The criminal proceedings will continue as the investigators assess the findings from the searches involving the senior officials.