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Ukrainians rallied in Kyiv and other major cities on July 22 after lawmakers passed a bill that would effectively destroy two of Ukraine's key anti-corruption bodies, in the first country-wide protests since Russia's full-scale invasion began.

Demonstrators gathered in Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, and Odesa to oppose the legislation, which grants sweeping new powers to the prosecutor general over the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO).

"Take cardboard from boxes and make posters where you write everything you think about the recent onslaught," war veteran Dmytro Koziatynskyi wrote in a Facebook post that helped mobilize the protests.

The bill allows the prosecutor general to issue binding instructions to NABU, reassign cases outside the agency, and delegate SAPO's authority to other prosecutors. Critics say the changes dismantle safeguards that protect both bodies from political interference.

People gathered to protest a bill passed in Ukraine's parliament that strips independence from anti-corruption bodies, in Kyiv, Ukraine on July 22, 2025. (Danylo Antoniuk/The Kyiv Independent)

Parliament approved the bill earlier that day with 263 votes in favor, 13 against, and 13 abstaining. The measure moved through committee and the legislature and was signed by Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk within hours. It is now awaiting President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to either sign or veto it.

In the capital, protesters carrying flags and handmade signs chanted "Get your hands off NABU and SAP," "Veto the law," and "No corruption in government."

The atmosphere was spirited and defiant, with chants of "Power belongs to the people" and periodic renditions of the national anthem. Kyiv Independent journalists at the scene reported a crowd including veterans, active-duty soldiers, and civilians.

On July 22, 2025, Ukrainians gathered in Kyiv after lawmakers passed a bill that effectively destroys two of Ukraine's main anti-corruption agencies. (Katya Denisova / The Kyiv Independent)On July 22, 2025, Ukrainians gathered in Kyiv after lawmakers passed a bill that effectively destroys two of Ukraine's main anti-corruption agencies. (Katya Denisova / The Kyiv Independent)

Protests also broke out in the western city of Lviv, where several hundred people gathered on the central Svobody Avenue, chanting "Shame!" and "Corruption is the death of the future."

Standing around a statue of Ukraine's most revered poet, Taras Shevchenko, demonstrators raised signs urging the president to block the law.

On July 22, 2025, Ukrainians gathered in Lviv after lawmakers passed a bill that effectively destroys two of Ukraine's main anti-corruption agencies. (Martin Fornusek / The Kyiv Independent)

The protests reflect mounting concern that Ukraine's anti-corruption drive — a core condition for EU membership and international aid — is under threat.

Earlier, the move drew criticism from Kyiv's international partners. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos expressed "serious concern" over the bill's adoption.

"The dismantling of key safeguards protecting NABU's independence is a serious step back," Kos wrote on X. "Independent bodies like NABU and SAPO are essential for Ukraine's EU path. Rule of law remains in the very center of EU accession negotiations."

The changes would amount to the "destruction of NABU and SAPO's independence and practically subordinate their activities to the prosecutor general," NABU said in a statement.

"Ukraine's anti-corruption infrastructure, built since 2015, will be destroyed," the agency added.

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