Ukraine's ex-prosecutor general Kravchenko stopped at border over anti-corruption flag, released after call from Kyiv

Ruslan Kravchenko, who was then Ukraine's prosecutor general, was initially not allowed to cross into Poland at the Shehyni checkpoint because the border guards' database carried a flag from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP). This is according to an investigation by the outlet Ukrainska Pravda (UP), based on accounts from law enforcement sources.

UP's interlocutors say Kravchenko's passport was taken at Shehyni and not returned for a long time. They claim the border guards later received a call from Kyiv and let him go on to Vienna, where security from the Austrian intelligence service may already have been waiting for him.

Background to the investigation

The investigation looks at why UP journalists who were searching for the former prosecutor general were detained in Vienna. UP found that Odesa businessman Volodymyr Halanternyk, who is a figure in two NABU and SAP cases, may have helped Kravchenko settle in Vienna. People who apparently work for the businessman testified against the journalists. According to the Austrian case materials, during questioning of the journalists, investigators checked the residence register and confirmed that the person they were seeking was registered at the given address. UP also suggests that Austrian security services may have been guarding Kravchenko. Halanternyk ignored the newsroom's requests.

Kravchenko, for his part, accused NABU and SAP of preparing "violent actions" against him. The bureau rejected the accusations, describing them as an attempt to secure protection abroad for himself.

Departure from Ukraine

Kravchenko left Ukraine overnight on 14 September. Under an order he signed himself, he was to spend five days in Paris taking part in hearings under the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Ukrainian children. However, he was not on the list of participants. The business trip ended on 18 September. Maryana Gayovska, a spokeswoman for the Prosecutor General's Office, told UP that he did not return to work on 21 September.