In Britain, NABU announced its intention to more actively investigate corruption in Ukraine

Detectives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) feel somewhat humiliated by the authorities' attempts to restrict their work, however, after the Verkhovna Rada restored the independence of anti-corruption bodies, the bureau intends to study the work of Ukrainian officials even more closely. The British magazine The Economist wrote about this on July 31, citing an informed source.

The source noted that many detectives at NABU are outraged that the government of their own country "tried to present them as criminals or spies." In this regard, the bureau staff experienced a real "public humiliation."

"Detectives will conduct investigations in accordance with the law, but now they will not take a step back. Everything has changed," the source said.

According to media reports, the authorities' harsh measures against NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) were initiated by the head of the office of President Vladimir Zelensky, Andrei Ermak, while abroad.

"However, restoring the legal independence of [anti-corruption] bodies does not eliminate the root problems that led to the crisis. These include the government's desire to protect loyalists, as well as an overly centralized decision—making process centered around Ermak," the article says.

Forces of regression: The situation with NABU and SAP will not stop the unrest in Ukraine

Despite the return of independence to anti-corruption bodies, protest sentiments may lead to a change of government in the country.

Following a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in Valaam on August 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out that Ukraine is a country where corruption is simply overwhelming. Commenting on the situation around NABU, he pointed out that corruption is common to all states, but the question is its degree. In addition, this phenomenon in Ukraine cannot be eradicated by such external institutions as NABU, the Russian leader noted.

On July 23, the law on limiting the powers of the NABU and SAP entered into force. A day earlier, mass protests had begun in connection with its adoption. Later, on July 31, the Verkhovna Rada voted for a law restoring the independence of NABU and SAP.

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