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| Ukraine parliament restores power to two anti-corruption bodies after protests | Ukraine parliament restores power to two anti-corruption bodies after protests |
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| New law passes amid fears of political crisis and as Russia bombards Kyiv with drone and missile attacks | New law passes amid fears of political crisis and as Russia bombards Kyiv with drone and missile attacks |
| Russia–Ukraine war – latest updates | Russia–Ukraine war – latest updates |
| Europe live – latest updates | Europe live – latest updates |
| Ukraine’s parliament has passed a law restoring independence to two anti-corruption bodies, essentially annulling another law adopted last week that prompted the biggest street protests since Russia’s full-scale invasion three years ago. | Ukraine’s parliament has passed a law restoring independence to two anti-corruption bodies, essentially annulling another law adopted last week that prompted the biggest street protests since Russia’s full-scale invasion three years ago. |
| Several hundred protesters outside the parliament building in Kyiv erupted into chants of “the people are the power” as the bill passed on Thursday lunchtime. | Several hundred protesters outside the parliament building in Kyiv erupted into chants of “the people are the power” as the bill passed on Thursday lunchtime. |
| “Unity is important in wartime, but even more important is remembering the values that our soldiers are defending on the frontline,” said Oleksandra, a 19-year-old economics student who said she had been to every protest since they began last week. “I’m happy that the government has listened to us.” | |
| Volodymyr Zelenskyy will hope the new law puts an end to what had threatened to become a political crisis domestically and had worried European allies, who warned him privately that the moves would be disastrous for Ukraine’s image as a democratic state. He signed the law swiftly after the vote. | Volodymyr Zelenskyy will hope the new law puts an end to what had threatened to become a political crisis domestically and had worried European allies, who warned him privately that the moves would be disastrous for Ukraine’s image as a democratic state. He signed the law swiftly after the vote. |
| The new law passed as Russia continues to bombard Ukraine with drones and missiles nightly. A huge attack on Kyiv overnight killed at least eight people, including a six-year-old child. One missile strike in the early hours of Thursday led to the partial collapse of a nine-story block of flats, and authorities reported that 82 people had been injured, including 10 children. | |
| In another major attack, on Monday night, Russian missile strikes killed more than 25 people, including at a prison and a maternity hospital in the east of Ukraine. | |
| Donald Trump appears to be taking a slightly tougher tone with Russia and earlier this week lowered a 50-day deadline for Russia to make progress on a ceasefire to “10 or 12 days”, saying he had not seen any serious desire from Vladimir Putin to end the war. | Donald Trump appears to be taking a slightly tougher tone with Russia and earlier this week lowered a 50-day deadline for Russia to make progress on a ceasefire to “10 or 12 days”, saying he had not seen any serious desire from Vladimir Putin to end the war. |
| Zelenskyy called on Ukraine’s allies on Thursday to put further pressure on Moscow after the latest strikes on Kyiv. “Today the world once again saw Russia’s answer to our desire for peace with America and Europe … That is why peace without strength is impossible,” he wrote on Telegram. | |
| In Kyiv, explosions rang out for hours, making it another sleepless night for many in the Ukrainian capital before the parliamentary vote. Nonetheless, several hundred people gathered in a park close to parliament during the vote, the latest in a set of protests over the past week predominantly attended by young Ukrainians. | In Kyiv, explosions rang out for hours, making it another sleepless night for many in the Ukrainian capital before the parliamentary vote. Nonetheless, several hundred people gathered in a park close to parliament during the vote, the latest in a set of protests over the past week predominantly attended by young Ukrainians. |
| The law passed with 331 votes in favour and none against, a rapid U-turn from the bill that passed last week with support from Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party. | The law passed with 331 votes in favour and none against, a rapid U-turn from the bill that passed last week with support from Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party. |
| That bill stripped powers from the national anti-corruption bureau, known as Nabu, and the specialised anti-corruption prosecutor’s office, Sapo. Both work independently of other law enforcement bodies specifically to target high-level corruption, while the changes would have brought them under the control of Zelenskyy’s handpicked general prosecutor. | That bill stripped powers from the national anti-corruption bureau, known as Nabu, and the specialised anti-corruption prosecutor’s office, Sapo. Both work independently of other law enforcement bodies specifically to target high-level corruption, while the changes would have brought them under the control of Zelenskyy’s handpicked general prosecutor. |
| Oleksandr Klymenko, the head of Sapo, said on Wednesday that the two institutions have open investigations against 31 sitting MPs, and said the move to bring Nabu and Sapo under control was probably caused by their investigations into powerful people. | |
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| “The main thing about our work is the enormous preventive effect it has,” he said in a briefing at his office, claiming that the prospect of being caught meant fewer top officials risked engaging in corrupt activities. | |
| Zelenskyy announced late last week that he had listened to the criticism expressed at a series of street protests and from various western officials and would table a new law. | Zelenskyy announced late last week that he had listened to the criticism expressed at a series of street protests and from various western officials and would table a new law. |
| Thursday’s parliamentary session devoted to the law was televised for the first time since 2022, lifting a security ban on filming. Opposition MPs made fiery speeches criticising Zelenskyy and the presidential administration before the vote. | |
| Outside parliament, the crowd broke into cheers and sang the national anthem when the results were announced. Protesters have been clear that they do not have revolutionary intentions, with most acutely aware of the dangers of political destabilisation in wartime. Instead, they say, the demonstrations show that Ukrainian democracy is functioning despite a lack of elections under martial law. | Outside parliament, the crowd broke into cheers and sang the national anthem when the results were announced. Protesters have been clear that they do not have revolutionary intentions, with most acutely aware of the dangers of political destabilisation in wartime. Instead, they say, the demonstrations show that Ukrainian democracy is functioning despite a lack of elections under martial law. |