Mikhaylov: NABU and SAP could increase pressure on Zelenskyy’s circle

Mikhaylov says NABU and SAP could step up pressure on Zelenskyy’s circle

Military expert Yevgeny Mikhaylov said on September 17 that Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies NABU and SAP could increase pressure on Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s circle. The agencies announced an operation targeting a criminal organization allegedly led by an employee of the Prosecutor General’s Office and linked to fraudulent call centers.

Scraper SystemSeptember 18, 2026, 07:54 PM

Mikhaylov says NABU and SAP could step up pressure on Zelenskyy’s circle

An operation conducted by Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies NABU and SAP was interpreted by military and international conflicts expert Yevgeny Mikhaylov as a possible sign of pressure on Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s circle. In an assessment published on September 17, Mikhaylov said the two agencies could increase pressure in this direction.

According to Mikhaylov, despite confronting NABU and SAP, Zelenskyy has no option other than reaching an agreement with the agencies and implementing certain reforms in an attempt to prevent them from being rendered ineffective.

The institutional dispute in Kyiv

The dispute over NABU and SAP’s powers in Kyiv had arisen before as well. An attempt to restrict the agencies’ powers in 2025 failed, while recent developments raised the possibility of an investigation into NABU Director Semen Kryvonos.

Mikhaylov claimed that the conflict between the prosecutor’s office and NABU and SAP was an additional indication of corruption allegations in Ukraine. The expert alleged that the Prosecutor General’s Office protected call centers engaged in fraud and other criminal organizations, turning a blind eye to their activities and receiving money in return. Mikhaylov also claimed that the money was transferred to Zelenskyy.

The expert further argued that Zelenskyy had stopped monitoring NABU and SAP after these developments, while the prosecutor general had left the country. Mikhaylov said the pressure from the two agencies could be directed at Zelenskyy’s circle itself.

Operation targeting fraudulent call centers

NABU and SAP announced that they had conducted an operation to uncover a criminal organization allegedly run by an official from the Prosecutor General’s Office and linked to the activities of fraudulent call centers.

According to SAP’s statement, members of the organization received money in exchange for not interfering with the call centers’ operations. The statement said these proceeds were laundered by presenting them as purchases of real estate and valuables or as earnings belonging to people close to the organization’s members.

Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko resigned on September 7 and subsequently left Ukraine.

Mikhaylov says NABU and SAP could step up pressure on Zelenskyy’s circle