Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
2025 anti-corruption protests in Ukraine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
From 22 July 2025, Ukrainians gathered in Kyiv, Odesa, Lviv, Dnipro and other cities to protest the passing of a bill that aimed to "effectively destroy" the power of two of Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies.[2][3] These were the first anti-government demonstrations since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[4] The event became known as Cardboard protests (Ukrainian: Картонкові протести)[5], Cardboard meetings (Ukrainian: Картонкові мітинги) or Cardboard Maidan (Ukrainian: Картонковий майдан) due to the use of handmade posters by their participants.[6][7]
On 31 July 2025, parliament passed a new bill that restored the agencies' independence.
Remove ads
Background
Summarize
Perspective
On 21 July, law enforcement officers raided the offices of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), to investigate 15 employees as part of an alleged investigation into traffic violations. Investigators, led by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and Prosecutor's General Office, later said the investigation centered on a pro-Russian member of parliament suspected of treason.[8]
On 22 July 2025, Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada passed a controversial law, Bill No. 12414,[9] that stripped NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) of independence and gave new powers to the Prosecutor General,[10] Zelenskyy loyalist Ruslan Kravchenko.[11] The bill was passed by the ruling Servant of the People party, with support from the opposition Batkivshchyna party and the Platform for Life and Peace; it was opposed by the liberal Holos party.[12] The bill had originally been unrelated to NABU and SAPO, but the provisions were added as amendments after the bill had already passed the first reading.[13][14]
Protests began soon after, demanding that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy veto the bill.[15] Despite widespread protests, Zelenskyy signed the law into power on the evening of 22 July and defended it on Telegram in his nightly address, saying that "the anti-corruption infrastructure will work ... NABU and SAPO will work",[16] but without "Russian influences" that Zelenskyy said had to be removed.[17][18]
Critics have pointed out the law can make it easier for the government to choose which corruption cases to prosecute.[19] Critics also fear that this law may hurt Ukraine's efforts to join the European Union.[20] EU officials have called the law a "step back".[21]
Remove ads
Protests
Summarize
Perspective
On 22 July 2025, protesters gathered near the Ivan Franko Drama Theater after an appeal to "ordinary concerned citizens" by Dmytro Koziatynskyi, a war veteran.[22]
According to estimates by Ukrainska Pravda and Hromadske, hundreds of people gathered in the capital city of Kyiv, while UNIAN reported there were a thousand people present.[22] Protesters also gathered in Kharkiv (the second largest city in Ukraine),[23][24] Lviv (the largest city in western Ukraine), Dnipro,[4][25] and Odesa.[12] Protesters shouted "hands off NABU" and "shame," and criticized Zelenskyy and his administration.[17] The protesters stated that the bill would destroy Ukrainian anti-corruption processes and institutions aimed at reducing corruption in government institutions. People began leaving as the midnight curfew began.[26]
The demonstrators consisted largely of young people, who had been inspired by the Euromaidan protests but had not themselves participated.[12]
Protests were still ongoing on 30 July, the day before parliament was scheduled to vote on a new bill to reverse Bill No. 12414.[27]
![Thumb](#/media/File:Lviv_protest_against_law_№_12414,_23_July_2025_–_"Afraid_of_NABU%3F"_sign.jpg)
Remove ads
Aftermath
In response to the demonstrations, Zelenskyy announced on 23 July 2025[28] that he would submit a new draft law aimed at restoring the independence of NABU and SAPO, and submitted the bill the next day[29] as Bill No. 13533.[30] He stated that the new bill would protect the agencies from Russian influence while preserving their independence, though no details were given. NABU stated that the new bill restored both bodies' full powers and safeguards.[31]
The new bill was adopted by parliament and signed by Zelenskyy on 31 July 2025; Zelenskyy said it was "very important that the state listens to public opinion".[32] The adoption of Bill No. 13533 was celebrated by protesters who had gathered outside parliament during the vote, who chanted "the people are the power".[33]
The day after on 1 August 2025, Ukrainska Pravda reported that the protests had "won and ended".[34]
References
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads