Former Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko stated that in September he learnt of an alleged plan to send a group to carry out «unlawful acts of violence» against him. He linked this information to the arrests in Vienna. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) denied any involvement in such actions, stating that the former Prosecutor General’s claims were untrue.
Briefly about the main points
- Kravchenko spoke of an alleged group targeting him in September.
- He linked his claims to the arrests of two GUR military personnel in Vienna.
- The former Prosecutor General did not identify with certainty the person who might have been giving the orders.
- NABU and the SAP denied any involvement and described the statement as false.
- The allegations against the UP journalists detained in Vienna were subsequently not substantiated.
Kravchenko did not name the person who might have given the order
Kravchenko claims to have received information about a group that NABU and SAPO officials allegedly asked to be sent. According to him, orders to this group were apparently issued by the Office of the President.
At the same time, the former Prosecutor General emphasised that there was no reliable information as to who exactly might have given the orders, and urged people not to jump to conclusions. He also stated that he sees parallels between this case and the events in Monaco this summer, the circumstances of which, he said, are being investigated by prosecutors at the Office of the Prosecutor General.
The former Prosecutor General linked the statement to the arrests of military personnel by the Main Intelligence Directorate
According to Kravchenko, two serving military personnel were detained in Vienna GUR The Ministry of Defence from the «Artan» group. He named their commander as Viktor Torkotuk, who, according to the former Prosecutor General, was also in Austria at the time of his subordinates’ arrest.
Kravchenko stated that one of those detained had previously worked in the external surveillance unit NABU. He also claims that Torcotuku was allegedly promised a post in return for carrying out the task.
Separately, Kravchenko reported on an investigation in Austria involving four individuals, two of whom, he said, are representatives of *Ukrainska Pravda*. He stated that a legal assessment of the circumstances and any possible links between those involved fell within the remit of the European law enforcement authorities.
NABU and the SAP have denied any involvement in the events in question
The NABU stated that neither the bureau nor the SAP were involved in sending a group of military personnel to carry out alleged acts of violence against Kravchenko. The anti-corruption authorities interpreted his remarks as an attempt to secure protection for himself in the host country.
The bureau emphasised that the former Prosecutor General’s claims regarding the alleged involvement of NABU and the SAP in the events he referred to are untrue.
UP journalists have been sacked; Kravchenko’s departure is being investigated
On 8 October, the head of the investigations department at «Ukrainska Pravda» was detained in Vienna» Mykhailo Tkach and the operator Yaroslava Bondarenko, who were carrying out an editorial assignment to search for Kravchenko. The following day, the Austrian Ministry of the Interior announced the arrest of four Ukrainian nationals on suspicion of espionage. The Vienna Public Prosecutor’s Office later stated that the suspicions regarding two journalists had not been substantiated, and they were released.
Kravchenko left Ukraine on a business trip in September and did not return. On 9 October, the acting Prosecutor General Anton Kovalsky stated that the Office of the Prosecutor General is investigating the circumstances surrounding his departure abroad.
