Last week, amid massive protests in various cities and warnings from international partners that financial aid to Ukraine could be suspended, the President submitted an urgent bill to Parliament aimed at restoring the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies.
With this draft legislation, the Head of State effectively asked MPs to repeal last week’s controversial amendments that had restricted the independence of NABU and SAPO — amendments that were passed with the same haste.
The presidential rollback bill includes:
- Removing all procedural restrictions on SAPO imposed by the Prosecutor General’s Office. However, the mechanism allowing the Prosecutor General’s Office to request SAPO materials for review — excluding NABU investigations — remains.
- Restoring the original version of Article 233 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which permits urgent searches without a judge’s warrant.
The President explained that the warrant requirement had paralised operational activity.
A key addition in the transitional and final provisions is a new mechanism for "purging anti-corruption agencies of influence from Russian intelligence."
Specifically, it mandates that "the internal control units of NABU and other law enforcement agencies, the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO), and SAPO—using methodology coordinated with the SBU—must conduct polygraph exams at least once every two years for all officers and prosecutors with access to state secrets to detect actions in favor of an aggressor state."
Additionally, within six months of the law taking effect, "the SBU is required to investigate employees of NABU, other law enforcement agencies, and prosecutors at the PGO and SAPO who have state‑secret clearance for possible actions favoring the aggressor state."
Presidential faction meeting: concerns raised about immunity guarantees
31 July, the Servant of the People parliamentary faction held a meeting just before the vote. The law had been recommended by the Law Enforcement Committee the previous Wednesday.
Although opposition factions proposed six alternative drafts, they were rejected.
Sources told LB.ua that the faction meeting took place without the President present. Chairman David Arakhamia reportedly did not push MPs to vote for the bill, remarking, “Everyone is already convinced anyway.”
But internal party chats revealed heated discussion. MPs asked why they were told to support legislation that stripped NABU/SAPO of their independence, suggesting: "This is a litmus test—are you with the President?"
A week later, they had to repeal it. "Especially now that everyone realizes NABU and SAPO will seek political revenge and open new investigations. Deputies fear retaliation," said one Servant MP.
An NABU leadership source told LB.ua just hours before the vote that news of new investigations was itself a propaganda operation. "MPs are just afraid of their own shadows. This narrative was thrown out to suppress votes," the source insisted.
Another Servant member added that MPs are demanding immunity guarantees—but Arakhamia said they were dubious.
Anti-corruption committee member Oleksiy Zhmerenetskyy (‘The Servant of the People’) described the faction meeting as “hot.” Arakhamia even apologised to colleagues for the “lack of proper communication” around the scandalous amendments attacking anti-corruption bodies, promising to address the error. He said the faction would form a “working group” to prevent similar "tragic mistakes": the vote had mobilised people to protest and jeopardised Western aid.
In the end, as Arakhamia confirmed, faction members agreed to support the bill in the parliamentary hall.
For the first time since the full-scale war began, the leaders of parliamentary factions agreed before the plenary session to broadcast the Rada live.
Protest outside parliament: MPs with placards, scuffle, and podium blockade
In the morning, protesters—mostly young people—gathered near Mariyinskyy Park and the Rada, holding cardboard signs, now iconic symbols of the movement, demanding the repeal of the law limiting NABU and SAPO.
MPs from various factions also arrived at the Rada with placards and slogans. Arakhamia and Oleksandr Marikovskyy (‘Servant’) posed with a sign saying “We are with the people.” Solomiya Bobrovska and Yuliya Klymenko held placards, as did Yaroslav Zheleznyak (‘Holos’), calling on the government: “Yuliya, wake up—customs reform now.” Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze and colleagues from ‘European Solidarity’ blocked the podium at the start of the session with signs saying “Hands off NABU” and “ZеEnd.”
Notably, independent MP Maryana Bezuhla stood near the podium holding a tablet with the slogan: “Power belongs to the people.” MPs even asked the Speaker to remove her from sessions, accusing her of disrupting speeches and interfering with proceedings.
At the session’s opening, two 'Servant' MPs — Vladlen Neklyudov and Hennadiy Kasay — got into a fight. According to colleagues, it had no political motivation. “They had a personal argument in the chat last night,” said one MP with a smiley emoji.
Another eventful moment: MP Dmytro Kostyuk (‘Servant’, former journalist at Espreso) announced his resignation from the faction, stating that he had questioned the motives behind stripping NABU/SAPO independence. He was told: “There are only two brave people in this country—you and Shabunіn (the anti-corruption campaigner under investigation).”
Following his departure, the faction now numbers 230 MPs.
The debate began with remarks by the President’s representative in Parliament, Halyna Mykhaylyuk, who explained the polygraph provisions as necessary for uncovering actions in favor of Russia. The bill also bans NABU employees from traveling abroad, “except on official business," she added.
Next, according to procedure, members of parliament who authored six alternative draft laws took the floor.
Oleksiy Honcharenko (European Solidarity) delivered a speech that resembled a direct attack on the president:
"Happy now? This is a stain that no blazer, no matter the color, can cover... This is ZeEnd," Honcharenko shouted.
Dmytro Razumkov (former Speaker) similarly asked MPs: “Aren’t you tired of eating excrement?”
And Yuliya Tymoshenko (leader of the "Batkivshchyna"), who supported the elimination of the independence of the NABU/SAP, compared Ukraine to a "dog with an electric collar" controlled by the "button" of the West through anti-corruption bodies, which are partially formed by international representatives on a competitive basis.
Former ‘Servant’ MP Yuliya Yatsyk (author of one alt draft) urged colleagues: “Read what you are voting for. Don’t press buttons and then apologize on Facebook.”
The head of the European Solidarity faction, Petro Poroshenko, emotionally called for "all those who participated in this scenario to bear responsibility."
Constitutional majority and record-breaking signing speed
In the end, the people's deputies voted for the basis by a constitutional majority, and then immediately for the presidential law as a whole. For — 331 — from all factions and groups. None — against.
Only Yuliya Tymoshenko and Mykhaylo Volynets (“Batkivshchyna”) did not vote. 214 of the 219 present from “Servants of the People” — for. However, five people's deputies from “Servants” did not vote: Alina Zagoruyko (part of the group of former speaker Dmytro Razumkov), Viktoriya Kinzburska, Hanna Lichman, Roksolana Pidlasa, Olha Savchenko.
All other MPs, including the remnants of the former pro-Russian OPZZh, “Trust”, “For the Future”, the opposition European Solidarity, “Holos”, parts of “Batkivshchyna” — pressed the green buttons.
“If we had failed the law, it would have been a very unfortunate suicide,” said one of the MPs from “Servant.”
Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk immediately signed the law, and later the president. The law will come into force the day after its publication.
