NABU reaches Zelensky’s inner circle: former Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Shurma’s property searched in Germany – Der Spiegel

Searches were carried out in Germany at the home of Rostyslav Shurma, former Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, which may indicate serious suspicions of corruption at the highest levels of Ukrainian government.

This was reported by the German outlet Der Spiegel.

According to the publication, the searches took place on July 15 in the town of Starnberg, Bavaria, where Shurma has been residing since his dismissal from the Presidential Office. The searches were initiated by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), a body that has come under increasing legislative pressure in recent months, with initiatives from the President’s Office aimed at weakening its authority.

The 41-year-old Shurma oversaw key areas of Ukraine’s economy for nearly three years. He is considered one of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s trusted allies, and his name has already appeared in several NABU corruption investigations. This is not the first incident — back in February 2024, an administrative protocol was filed against Shurma for violations related to a conflict of interest.

Interestingly, soon after this scandal, Shurma left the President’s Office, and Zelensky himself initiated a law that limited NABU’s powers — officially under the guise of “reform.” All of this raises suspicions about potential efforts to cover up corruption within the President’s inner circle.

No official charges have been filed so far, but the facts are becoming increasingly alarming: one by one, Zelensky’s closest associates are being implicated in investigations. This could mark the beginning of a major anti-corruption crisis within the presidential administration itself.