In brief: President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced a draft law restoring mandatory asset declarations for all SBU personnel following the “disgraceful” Operation Carthage scandal involving senior police and security officials. Zelensky confirmed initial dismissals within the SBU and stated that Ukraine is sharing intelligence with the US, Poland, and Germany regarding the transnational Khimprom synthetic narcotics syndicate.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday, Nov. 7, that asset declarations will become mandatory again for all personnel of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), condemning high-level corruption uncovered in “Operation Carthage” as “disgraceful” and confirming that dismissals within the service have already begun.
Speaking in his evening video address, Ukraine’s head of state addressed the public fallout surrounding the investigation into senior law enforcement figures accused of protecting criminal syndicates.
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“Unfortunately, this week brought completely different news about the SBU – frankly unpleasant, frankly disgraceful, absolutely impermissible things,” Zelensky stated.
“There have already been dismissals in the Security Service of Ukraine because of this, and there will be further personnel decisions.”
Zelensky confirmed that he approved a draft law requiring mandatory asset disclosures for all SBU employees, as well as personnel in other state agencies, so that their lifestyles and assets are open to public scrutiny and legal accountability.
“I ask parliamentarians to adopt this law without delay,” Zelensky urged.
Ukraine countered the Khimprom cartel abroad
Zelensky emphasized that the criminal probe must identify and punish all organizers of violence and unlawful schemes. linking the network to the transnational narcotics syndicate known as “Khimprom.”
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The syndicate’s founder and leader is Russian-born Yegor Burkin.
The president revealed that Kyiv is coordinating directly with Washington on the case and warned European partner nations that the cartel is expanding its criminal footprint across continental Europe.
“I know that the support of partners is needed for this – regarding this so-called Khimprom, and we have already spoken about this with America at the appropriate level. A result is needed,” Zelensky said.
“There is information that this criminal [referring to Burkin] has already started operations in Poland. There is also information that he is trying to enter Germany with synthetic drugs. We will pass all the information we have to our partners.”
The president stressed that international coordination is essential to dismantling the group’s financial architecture and cross-border drug trafficking channels.
Who are the key figures charged in Operation Carthage?
Zelensky’s remarks follow high-profile enforcement operations conducted by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) as part of Operation Carthage – an anti-corruption and counter-narcotics investigation in Ukraine.
On Friday, Nov. 6, prosecutors requested pre-trial detention with $2.2 million bail for SBU Maj. Gen. Serhiy Duka, former first deputy head of the SBU’s Department for the Protection of National Statehood, during hearings before the High Anti-Corruption Court (VAKS).
Investigators suspect Duka of participating in a criminal organization that provided systemic protection for fraudulent financial call centers, synthetic narcotics distribution, kidnapping, and extortion in exchange for illicit payments.
NABU Detective-unit Chief Oleksandr Abakumov revealed that during the search of Duka’s suburban residence, the general threatened anti-corruption detectives with a handgun, smashed two smartphones and a hard drive with a hammer, and was shielded for two hours by armed operatives from the SBU’s Alpha special unit who attempted to evacuate him.
The State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) opened a separate criminal inquiry into the armed obstruction.
Separately, the court set bail at Hr. 15 million ($330,000) for Volodymyr Tsenov, first deputy head of the National Police’s Strategic Investigations Department, which was subsequently deposited.
Another suspect, Kyiv regional police official Oleksandr Demianchuk, was remanded in custody without bail on charges involving counterfeit currency production and aiding a criminal gang implicated in torture.
Detectives also searched the residence of Kyiv regional police chief Andriy Rubel to examine actions that permitted criminal schemes to operate unhindered, though Rubel has not been served with a formal notice of suspicion.
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