NABU may issue a notice of suspicion to Prime Minister Svyrydenko over the “airplane” case – sources

Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) is investigating a criminal case concerning alleged misconduct by Prime Minister Yuliya Svyrydenko.

This was reported by journalists’ sources within the Bureau.

The case is related to joint flights taken by Svyrydenko — during her time as First Deputy Prime Minister — together with the Head of the President’s Office, Andriy Yermak. Unlike Yermak, Svyrydenko, by her official status, is entitled to use aircraft from the state aviation fleet. According to investigators, some of her joint trips with Yermak were not based on her official need to visit particular countries, but rather stemmed from Yermak’s desire to fly at the state’s expense on a government plane. NABU sees this as a potential criminal offense and believes the state budget suffered losses as a result.

According to Bureau sources, the case could move forward to the point of serving Svyrydenko with a formal notice of suspicion — if the Verkhovna Rada passes, and the President signs, a bill restoring NABU’s full powers. Sources also do not rule out that Yermak may be served with a notice of suspicion in this case as well.

Recently, Ukrainian media sources reported that NABU may have recorded President Volodymyr Zelensky in connection with the case of businessman and co-owner of the “Kvartal 95” studio, Timur Mindich, shortly before the scandal involving the curbing of anti-corruption agencies’ powers.

Meanwhile, the head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, Oleksandr Klymenko, admitted in an interview with a Western outlet that — due to pressure from authorities — one of NABU’s detectives refused to investigate a sensitive case, fearing persecution. He also revealed that “informants suspended cooperation with the Bureau, fearing exposure of their identities.”